Senseless Debate Of DKI Prov. Govt. And PSI On River Normalization Deletion In RPJMD Amendment

DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and his deputy Riza Patria (Photo: DKI Jakarta Public Relations)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) faction of the Jakarta DPRD revealed that DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan abolished the river normalization program in the proposed amendment to the DKI Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD). However, the DKI Provincial Government has denied this accusation. Both parties mutually defend their respective arguments.

RPJMD is a development planning document that contains the vision, mission, and programs of the regional head promised since the term of office for a period of 5 years.

Initially, a member of the PSI Faction of DKI DPRD Justin Untayana revealed that Anies had submitted a draft of the 2017-2022 RPJMD changes. In it, PSI did not find a normalization program as one of the flood controllers.

"The problem is, Mr. Anies has been serving as Governor for more than 3 years, but the promise of the river naturalization and normalization campaign seems like has never been realized at all. If Mr. Anies eliminates river normalization from the RPJMD document, the residents of Jakarta will suffer losses due to the ongoing floods,” said Justin, Wednesday, February 10.

In fact, according to Justin, this river widening program is very useful for flood control efforts. Moreover, a number of areas in Jakarta have been hit by floods due to the high rainfall in recent days.

This was denied by the Head of the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) of DKI Jakarta, Nasruddin Djoko Surjono. Nasruddin said river normalization activities are still listed in Chapter IV. This is also in line with the joint agreement for the Flood and Landslide Mitigation Action Plan in the Jabodetabekpunjur Area 2020-2024.

Where the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) will carry out the construction of flood control in rivers/streams which is the authority of the Central Government and the Regional Government to support land acquisition at the river/stream locations to be worked on.

"River normalization activities are still being carried out as an integrated part of flood control efforts in Jakarta and are not removed from the 2017-2022 RPJMD Changes," said Nasruddin.

"In fact, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has been carrying out land acquisition in rivers/streams which supports the normalization implementation by the central government," he added.

Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria also emphasized that the river normalization program was not abolished in the RPJMD. Riza asked PSI to read the revised RPJMD draft more carefully.

"Please anyone who is a member of the DPRD, if you want to express your opinion, that is the right and the authority and the duty. However, we ask that it should be read more carefully before giving a statement to the public," said Riza on Thursday, February 11.

PSI returned to reply to the rebuttal. Member of the DKI Jakarta DPRD from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Justin Untayana said that the Head of DKI Jakarta Bappeda should convey this matter in detail. So, there is no misunderstanding or other things.

"The term normalization in chapter IV, as indicated by the Head of Bappeda, should be read in the context of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government's flood management program. We ask the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to provide complete information with a complete context," Justin said, Saturday, February 13.

Unnecessary charioteer debate

The debate between the two sides confused the public. Public policy observer, Trubus Rahadiansyah, considered the communication between Anies Baswedan as the executive and the DPRD as the legislature did not run harmoniously.

"This is egosectoral to cover each other's weaknesses as well. The public seems to be being played with by a senseless debate to cover up the inability to deal with the flood problem. The weakness of the DKI Provincial Government in dealing with floods and the DKI DPRD as an overseeing institution," Trubus told VOI.

According to Trubus, the DKI Provincial Government and DPRD should sit together to discuss the problems faced by DKI, especially in handling floods.

"Mr. Anies must consult with the DPRD, then the central government, in this case, the Ministry of PUPR. At the same time, evaluate the normalization program planning," he said.