Beritabali.com reports that residents living in the proposed right-of-ways of the proposed Mengwi-Gilimanuk tollway are conducting peaceful demonstrations, demanding to know the status of the road project and details of plans to acquire their lands so that construction can go ahead.
The demonstrators are asking Indonesian President Joko Widodo to provide an explanation regarding the apparently stalled toll road project. On Thursday, 08 August 2024, a peaceful demonstration involving “tens” of participants was staged on Jalan Antosari in the Village of Antosari, Tabanan Regency. The demonstrators comprised people whose lands will be needed to construct the Gilimanuk-Mengwi portion of the toll road.
The chairman of the Forum for Villages Affected by the Bali Toll Road (Forum Perbekel Terdampak Tol Seluruh Bali), I Nyoman Arnawa, said that landowners need clarification on the lack of a credible explanation on plans to acquire their lands.
Arnawa proclaimed on 08 August: “Basically, if there is no plan to use and acquire these lands, then make this clear and release these lands so the owners can profitably use this land.” Arnawa said that the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (Kementerian PUPR) had confirmed the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road has been designated as a project of high national priority (PNR) with compensation for the land needed by the project to be compensated from the Provincial Budget (APBD).
Despite being a “prioritized budget” of national importance, the future of the toll road remains unclear. Privately owned land across the regencies designated as needed to accommodate the Gilimanuk-Mengwi tollway is still awaiting firm and final confirmation from developers and the government. As a result, landowners need clarification about the future of the road project and the future use of their land.
Most of the land in question is held under Freehold (SHM land titles) but has been designated as “public lands” (tanah masyarakat). Because of this change in status, the land can not now be purchased, sold, or pledged in any financial transaction. This confused status is a source of mental stress for the public.
Speaking on behalf of the group of landholders, Arnawa says public anxiety is linked to the legal uncertainties of the land-holding situation. Some 1,113.33 hectares of land will be affected by the Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll Road across 50 villages in three regencies: Jembrana, Tabanan, and Badung. Meanwhile, in Tabanan Regency itself, at least 420.4 hectares of land are jointly owned by the community.
The Forum for Villages Affected by the Bali Toll Road is staging a demonstration to seek President Joko Widodo’s clarification and confirmation of the tollway’s official plans. At the very least, assurances are sought that guaranteed funding resources have been identified to satisfactorily pay for the ambitious road construction project.
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