Eating A Lot Of Rice Fields And Unlicensed, Bali DPRD Closes Concrete Restaurants In Bali

Photo: iST

JAKARTA - The Special Committee for Asset and Licensing Spatial Planning (Pansus TRAP) of the Bali DPRD emphasized their steps to temporarily close a number of restaurants concreted in the Jatiluwih subak area, Tabanan, for the sake of arrangement.

"This is done in response to starting to narrow the rice fields due to the conversion of land into concrete buildings, conditions that are considered to threaten the identity of Balinese culture and Jatiluwih's image as the most beautiful rice field destination that tourists are looking for," said Chairman of the Special Committee for TRAP Bali DPRD I Made Supartha, quoted from ANTARA, Sunday 7 December.

Supartha reminded that the Jatiluwih subak has the status of a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO which was not easy to achieve in 2012.

However, gradually the use of rice fields began to be misused, so the Bali DPRD TRAP Special Committee was present to check.

Sure enough, the council together with the Bali Satpol PP found 13 restaurant building owners violating the rules for the use of space and not having complete permits.

Supartha emphasized that the presence of the special committee was not to hinder development, but to ensure that the spatial arrangement was running properly, maintaining cultural heritage, and building the people's economy without destroying nature.

"A proud asset is the beauty of the most frequent rice fields without any opponents in the world, until UNESCO determines as a WBD, this must be maintained, if this is able to be maintained, it is able to contribute to residents without having to damage them," he said.

The politician who also came from Tabanan regretted if it was true that UNESCO revoked the status of this cultural heritage, especially after the restaurant closed, protests emerged from the owner by installing zinc and plastic in the rice field area.

Furthermore, restaurant owners will be summoned by the Bali Satpol PP to ask for permission and next steps so as not to have an impact on tourist visits at the end of the year.

The Bali DPRD TRAP Special Committee is also preparing a solution study so that Bali can still preserve rice fields, remain a cultural heritage status, and the people remain prosperous.

Some that have been projected, such as arranging people's homes into international standard lodging, are also designed by a typical village restaurant featuring local culinary delights.

"Residents will be fully involved in tourism management, so that income is no longer dominated by outsiders or certain investor groups," said Supartha.

Regarding the desire to build in the rice fields, the chairman of the special committee reminded that in regulations there are areas that can be built, namely 3 times 6 meters, which is called the Bampi Body which can be used for the business area to sell coffee and Balinese snacks, but not built as concrete as it is today.

"This concept later wants to be explained, made later which is artistic and later is indeed owned by land owners, not outside investors, this body is capable of becoming a commercial area, small but can be a source of welfare for farmers, apart from agricultural land," he said.

Another step is to provide incentives for the provision of production facilities by distributing seed assistance, fertilizers, paying attention to irrigation, agricultural insurance, and strengthening subak systems so that agricultural production remains stable and not disrupted, to pay attention to marketing.