The 'IKN Area Boundary' Sign In The Settlement Makes Residents Anxious, 'Where Else Will We Live?'

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The installation of a notice board that reads the boundaries of the government's core area in a densely populated settlement in Sepaku District, North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan, which is the core location of IKN Nusantara, has made the public worried.

"There has been no direct negotiation with us as people living in the IKN area, so we are worried about our current whereabouts," said a resident of Bumi Harapan Village, Sepaku District, Hasanudin in Penajam, Saturday, March 19.

Most of the residents, he said, already have proof of land ownership in the form of land certificates, seals or other proof of land ownership.

If agricultural land and residences will be affected by the construction of the Nusantara IKN, he said, then there is the best solution for the community, most of whom work as farmers.

"When our land and buildings are taken, where else will we live and make a living," he said as quoted by Antara.

The residents of Bumi Harapan Village agreed to collect land ownership certificates and immediately send a letter to President Joko Widodo to question the fate of the people living in the government's core area.

However, the residents of Bumi Harapan Village admitted that they wanted to remain domiciled in the area because living near the center of the state government was the greatest gift.

Hasanuddin and other residents have lived in the area for years, even the cemetery of the previous family is in the area.

"People's aspirations need to be understood because most of the residents of Sepaku want to remain domiciled in the area that has been designated as a new IKN," said Acting Regent (Plt) of North Penajam Paser Regent Hamdam Pongrewa.

"So when there is a choice between compensation or staying where they are now, most people choose to stay where they are now," he added.

"Actually, the people in Sepaku Sub-district can be invited to negotiate to determine the best way because there are many things that should be taken into account by the IKN Nusantara Authority regarding the fate of these residents," he explained.