Disbursing IDR 800 Million, West Pasaman Regency Government Builds Roads To Isolated Areas Rura Patontang

Illustration of road closures is damaged in the logging process. (Pixabay)

The West Pasaman Regency Government (Pemkab) in West Sumatra (West Sumatra) immediately built a road to the isolated area of Rura Patontang in Koto Balingka District by preparing a budget in 2024. "The area of Rura Patontang is the attention of the Regent of West Pasaman to be corrected immediately. For this reason, we have prepared a budget of around Rp800 million so that the road can be traversed by four-wheeled vehicles," said the acting Head of the West Pasaman Spatial Planning (PUPR) Public Works Office, Elifsan after reviewing the condition of the road, Thursday 18 April, was confiscated by Antara. He said that the budget would later be used for hardening and widening the road to 10 meters along 1.5 kilometers. "Currently, the road conditions are mostly land and cannot be reached by four-wheeled vehicles because its width is only about three meters," he said. In addition, a bridge will also be built on that road because it is currently using an emergency bridge or temporary bridge. According to him, with the repair and widening of the road, the community will be able to use four-wheeled vehicles through that road. "We will immediately carry out the work by involving the TNI through the TNI Manunggal Building Village (TMMD) program," he said.

He emphasized that the West Pasaman Regency Government has a commitment to slowly see, hear and follow up on public complaints, especially regarding road access, health and education. In addition to the road construction, he said, it is hoped that the isolation of Rura Patontang will be slowly released. "Of course, the construction of various roads and other access will be carried out in stages according to the existing budget," he said. In addition to the budget for the Rura Patontang road that was prepared, his party has also prepared a border road budget with North Sumatra in Jorong Sigantang Aek Nabirong for the road opening of about one kilometer. "Hopefully the construction will be carried out soon so that no more people of Rura Patontang are sick using stretchers and can use four-wheeled vehicles to the nearest hospital," he said.