S. Sumatra coal railway to be completed on schedule

Tue, 01 Feb.2011

The Jakarta Post reported that, despite land acquisition problems, state coal mining company PT Bukit Asam is upbeat that the development of a railway track connecting Tanjung Enim and Tanjung Api Api port in South Sumatera will be completed on schedule in 2014.
Bukit Asam president director Sukrisno acknowledged that resistance during the land acquisition processes might affect the progress of the railway’s development, but he claimed that his company had taken all necessary measures to ensure that the project was finished on time, as quoted by The Jakarta Post.

“We’ve cooperated with local administrations and speak heart-to-heart with people living in the region. We believe that solutions will be reached in the near future,” he told House of Representatives Commission VII overseeing energy and mining at a hearing session on Monday.
Sukrisno said that people were afraid of losing sources of income if they moved to other locations prepared by the company and local administrations. To address their concerns, he said that Bukit Asam ensured it would assist people in creating alternative sources of income in their new places of residence.

“We’ll work together with local administrations to build not only their new homes, but also their livelihoods,” Sukrisno said, adding that the relocations would begin in March this year.
The US$1.65 billion (around Rp 15 trillion) railway track would be expected to start operations in 2014, he said. (source:TheJakarta Post)