Depok – Residents of Beji Timur, Depok, blocked Jl. Taufiqurrahman on Saturday in protest against the development of an apartment building, which they had initially been informed would be a boarding house, developed by PT SCC Investment Corp.
"PT SCC has committed many violations, that's why the residents affected [by the violations] are taking this firm measure," said one of the residents Fatia.
It all started in January 2017, when the developer began development of a project they called Apartkos Avicenna.
It is reported that the developer kicked off the construction after only obtaining the Land Use Permit (IPR), and without the Building Construction Permit (IMB).
Residents were told that the company was building a boarding house and needed approval from the residents.
Head of Neighborhood Unit (RT) 05, Community Unit (RW) 02, Beji Timur Ahmad Daujat, said he complied with the developer's request to collect signatures from the residents in a show of support for the boarding house development project.
"They required 10 signatures, but only four were willing to sign," said Daujat as quoted by tempo.co. They later learned that the developer was not building a boarding house but an apartment building instead.
Upon finding out this information, they withdrew the petition of approval and sent a letter of admonishment as well as a legal notice to the Depok Mayor on May 9 and Sept. 15, 2017.
According to the head of Depok's Public Order Agency, Yayan Arianto, they had sent an initial warning letter to the developer a few days ago. (iwa)