Land formerly owned by KPC controlled by big companies
Friday, May 31 2002 - 03:25 AM WIB
About 50,000 hectares of land formerly owned by East Kalimantan-based coal mining company PT Kaltim Prima Coal have fallen into the hands of several major companies in the province linked with local senior officials and members of the provincial legislative council, Kompas reported on Friday.
KPC was forced to surrender the land due to a demand from the local authorities, which said that the land was needed to support the operation of cooperatives in the province.
M. Husin, the chairman of Pinang Cooperative said in Samarinda on Thursday that Governor Suawarna Abdul Fatah and the Chairman of East Kalimantan legislative council Sukardi Djarwo Putro had fiercely fought for the land on the name of the people.
"Sukarno previously promised that the land would be given to 100 cooperatives in the province. But in the reality, the land is now controlled by big businesses and senior officials," he said.(*)