Deputy Regent Calls Gold Mining In Banyumas Whose 8 Workers Are Trapped In Unlicensed Wells

The police showed evidence during a press conference on the illegal gold mining case at the Banyumas Police Headquarters, Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Friday (28/7/2023). ANTARA/Sumarwoto

JATENG - Deputy Regent (Wabup) Banyumas Sadewo Tri Lastiono confirmed that the gold mine in Pancurendang Village, Banyumas Regency does not have a people's mining permit (IPR).

Sadewo conveyed this during a press conference at the Banyumas City Police Headquarters (Polresta) regarding the illegal gold mining case that was revealed after 8 were trapped in a mining well since Tuesday, July 25 night. The workers have not been successfully evacuated.

"So, this mining has actually been going on for a long time. From the police and local governments as well as related agencies also carry out socialization and then warnings, appeals not to carry out mining," he said.

According to him, the Banyumas Regency Government (Pemkab) has never received a mining permit application at that location.

In this case, he said, granting permits for mines that are still illegal is not the authority of the Banyumas Regency Government.

"We only accommodate and propose but there has never been an application," he said.

He said that currently the concentration of the Banyumas Regency Government was the evacuation process for 8 victims. Regarding the follow-up to illegal mining, we will think about it together.

According to him, socialization activities are always routinely carried out by the Banyumas Regency Government together with the Banyumas Police.

"But it's possible because this is his life there, they are difficult, so the mines are still running. As far as I know, as I remember it started, in 2014 it was in the river, then they ran ashore," he said.

He ensured that the Banyumas Police had now closed the mines in Pancurendang Village to the Gumelar District.

The Deputy Regent hopes that this event can be a shared lesson and that there will be no more illegal mines.

"If after all it will apply for a permit, of course later the ESDM (Energy and Mineral Resources) will be able to review whether the location is suitable for mining because considering the dangerous factors are quite large," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the ESDM Branch of the Central Java Province for the South Slamet Region, Mahendra Dwi Atmoko, said that based on the data, until now there has been no public mining permit in Banyumas Regency.

Even now, he said, people's mining permits cannot be issued in Banyumas Regency because until now there has been no determination of the mining area for the people.

"The determination of the people's mining area is carried out by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources. Until now, Banyumas has not yet determined the existence of a mining area for the people," he said.

He said the people's mining area could be provided with procedures, namely from the district government or regent to see spatial planning being consulted with the local DPRD and with mutual approval to propose the people's mining area to the provincial government.

Furthermore, he said, the provincial government through the provincial ESDM Office would conduct a study related to the proposal from a technical point of view.

"Is there a potential for mining there that is proposed. If appropriate, we propose to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources to determine the mining area of the people," he said.

He said that if it had been determined, then the public could apply for a people's mining permit, but so far this has not been done.

In addition, he said, until now based on data from the Central Java Provincial Energy and Mineral Resources Office, there has been no exploration study data at the illegal gold mining site of Pancurendang Village.

The case of this illegal gold mine was revealed following the trapped 8 workers in the well since Tuesday, July 25. In its development, the police have named a suspect.

"We have named four suspects, one of whom is the owner of the land, namely brother SN (76)," said Director of Criminal Investigation at the Central Java Police, Kombes Pol Dwi Subagio at a press conference at the Banyumas Police Headquarters, Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Friday afternoon July 28, confiscated by Antara.

Apart from SN, other suspects are KS (43) and WI (43) as the manager of Sumur I, and DR (40) as the manager of Sumur II. DR is currently a fugitive and is still being sought.