Padang-Pekanbaru toll road, the only national strategic project (PSN) in West Sumatra, is delayed as there are disputes with land owners.
Ade and his parents own a plot of land and a building for agriculture that is 1,5 hectares in size. The land is located next to Padang-Bukittinggi road. Ade is worried that he will be offered a low price for his family’s land, such as what happened in Nagari Kasang, Batang Anai Regency.
Nagari Kasang is one of the locations for the construction of Padang-Sicincin toll road, from STA KM 0 to STA KM 4.2. The location of the route has been announced. Based on the appraisal of the public appraisal office, land at the location is appraised to be worth around Rp32,000 to Rp288,000 per square metres.
“We, citizens, realise that this [land acquisition] is for development, but do not supress [the price] such as [the appraisal for lands] in Kasang. [Lands are appraised to be worth] Rp50,000 or Rp60,000! Is our land worth a chicken?” he said on Tuesday (3/12).
According to Ade, the prices of lands in Nagari Sicincin that are next to the highway are worth a high price, which is around Rp1 million per square metre. Meanwhile, agricultural lands are worth Rp700,000 per square metre. The farther it is to the highway, the cheaper it is. Location determines price.
They own lands that are around 1 to 4 hectares in size. They entrusted their opinions to Ade, who is the Neighbourhood Ward Head.
Ade said that his party had been invited to several discussions. A survey team also made several visits for measuring.
Ade mentioned a red plot of land that is around 20 centimetres tall. The plot of land is 100 metres from his house. There have been several discussions, but there has yet to be a certainty on the price that the government offers.
“We just want to know if the project will be carried out. If it will [be carried out], the prices must be clear and appropriate. There are no other problems, not even political,” he explained.
Residents of Padang Laweh in Nagari Sicincin are also offered uncertain prices. Padang Laweh Neighbourhood Ward Head said that there were 100 households affected by the toll road construction plan.
Until now, residents have participated in at least six discussions, from district, regency, to provincial levels. Irwandi emphasised that land prices were yet to be fixed.
“Until now, we were only asked if we agree or disagree. [The government] never mentioned the land price. We are scared that this is a trap,” Irwandi explained.
As there is no certain price, Sicincin residents also rejected the construction of the toll road that went through the productive area. There is also a similar rejection in Nagari Singguling in Lubuk Agung District.
Besides being a location with high population, the productive area is also the economic centre of Nagari Sicincin. Ade showed Bisnis the high-population residential area that would be relocated if the toll road followed the original route.
Padang-Sicincin toll road Project Head of PT Hutama Karya (Persero) Ramos Pardede said that the route that Lubuk Alung residents rejected was located on STA KM 17, while Sicincin was located on STA KM 30.
He explained that Hutama Karya, as an enterprise that was appointed to construct Padang-Sicincin toll road, had proposed the design for the route after STA KM 4.2.
“The [length of the] route will probably be extended to reach [KM] 38.1 until Kayu Tanam, which is called Tarok City,” he explained to Bisnis on Wednesday (4/12).
A normal occurrence
The West Sumatra Provincial Government has officially forwarded the rejection from Sicincin residents to the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry.
West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno said that rejection from the public was a normal occurrence. “Nothing can hinder a strategic construction for the public,” he said during a concert at Universitas Negeri Padang on Wednesday.
Irwan explained that the provincial government was ready to determine the locations for STA KM 4.2 until STA KM 30.4. Previously, the locations for STA KM 0 until STA KM 4.2 had been determined in 2018.
According to Irwan, his agency is waiting for a letter from the Highways Directorate General of the PUPR Ministry. The letter is a foundation for the governor to determine locations. He said that the new location was welcomed by the residents as it accommodated their demand of moving the route to Duku-Sicincin ring road.
Head of Land Affairs of West Sumatra Spatial Planning and Residential Area Darmansyah said that the letter stated a request to revision the land procurement plan for STA 4.2 KM until STA 30.4 KM.
He mentioned that his agency had exchanged three letters with Highways Directorate General. The last letter was sent on 11 November 2019.
In West Sumatra Governor Letter Number 759/1288/PerkimtanTnh/2019, the governor hopes that the Highways Directorate General will revise the document of plan on land procurement (DPPT) to accelerate location determination, especially where there is no rejection.
The request is proposed to lower the anxiety of land owners on toll road construction certainty.
“Since there are rejections, legally, the DPPT must be returned and revised. We have exchanged three letters [with the Highways Directorate General]. If the DPPT revision is ready, we are ready to determine the location,” Damansyah explained on Thursday (5/12).
According to him, before the DPPT is revised, the governor cannot determine the location. If the location has not been determined, land acquisition, as well as appraisal, cannot commence.
In other words, land acquisition on STA KM 4.2 to STA KM 30.4 cannot commence as the location has not been determined. Hence, land appraisal discussion to determine the reimbursement to the public cannot start.
On the other hand, PUPR Ministry made sure that their agency was accommodating the public interests, especially moving the toll road route.
Director for Freeways and Urban Roads of the Highways Directorate General of the PUPR Ministry Hedy Rahadian said that the route would be moved by following the mechanism regarding the land procurement process.
He said that the land procurement process was delayed because there were rejections from the public. He said that the PUPR Ministry must synergise with related parties to find the best alternative route.
When asked for a confirmation on West Sumatra Governor Letter dated 11 November 2019, PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that his agency had responded to the letter.
“It has been replied,” Basuki said during Kunciran-Serpong toll road inauguration in Ciputat, Tangerang Selatan on Friday (6/12).
Padang-Sicincin toll road project has commenced construction in 2018 with a ground breaking by President Joko Widodo on 9 February 2019.
Until now, only the location for 4.2 kilometres of the toll road has been determined. From that length, construction has only commenced for 1.1 kilometres at two different zones. If the dispute remains unresolved, the construction of the first toll road in West Sumatra may be delayed even further.
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