Residents threaten to take over Jorong?s coal concession in S Kalimantan

Residents in Jorong district, South Kalimantan, have threatened to take over coal concession owned by PT Jorong Barutama Greston, a subsidiary of Thai energy giant Banpu Plc, in the district, a local newspaper reported on Friday.

Ikhsan, one of the residents, said that the locals opposed the permit given to the company to develop the coal concession, which is located in Batu Kapit area. ?For us, PT JBG does not have any permit, and we want to develop the mining area with our own cooperative,? he was quoted as saying.

He said that the local residents would continue to fight over the mining area until the company surrendered it to locals.

Meanwhile a manager of PT JBG Saur M Silalahi said that the Batu Kapit mining area is part of the company?s coal concessions in South Kalimantan, which is now under a feasibility study. According him, the residents should not blame the company for the inclusion of the Batu Kapit into the company?s coal concession.

?The villagers directed their protests to a wrong address.Their complaints should be submitted to the government, which issued the permit,? Silalahi said.

The Secretary of the Tanah Laut regency blamed the residents. ?If a land has been owned by other people, it is wrong if residents want to take it,? he said, adding that the local government has issued a number of incentives to allow cooperatives develop a number of mining areas. (*)