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THE PERMISSION ON RENUN RIVER WATER USE;

A QUESTION MARK STILL

Since Soeharto stepped down from the presidency in 1998 and the RI 1 position then taken over by B.J. Habibie, many things changed so immediate. The situation at PLN party, in fact, had changed, too. Signed by the chiefs/directors of the project of Renun HEPP were lobbying the authority officer to have recommended permission concerning the project construction and river water use.

From the chronology order, the use and changes water function for the project purpose did not follow the appropriate regulation procedures in accordance with Law.

PLN just submitted any required recommendation on the project construction after new order collapsed. But it was not caused of PLN’s initiative, the submission was appealed when the regional office of Public Works Department in North Sumatra sent a letter dated July 15, 1999 to the Watering Public Works Division North Sumatra office concerning the permission letter for the project and another one in Central Tapanuli (Sipan Sihaporas HEPP).

One month later, it was August 11^th, 1999, the Chief of the project of Electrical Circuitry Power Plant in North Sumatra, Dendi Ilyas Affandi sent a letter to PLN Office in Jakarta. The point of the letter was solicit request for help in obtaining the recommendation on development river construction and river water use of Renun and its tributaries.

It was still in connection with the efforts to obtain the permission, in the same month (August 1999), the Minister of Mining and Energy, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, issued a letter  addressed to the Minister of Public Works (no date available on the letter). He asked the Ministerial of Public Works for an assistance. But if we observed the letter briefly, the letter seemed to have been issued invalidity.

Actually, in accordance with Law No. 35, 1991, it is clearly stated that “to take and use river water can only be made if the permission has already been issued by the competent department or related ministerial. Meanwhile, the Renun HEPP had begun the project construction without any of permission or legal recommendation. The Government Law No. 35, 1991 was broken by the project. Inside this Law is also asserted that “it is prohibited all kind of activities  that affect river condition changes like removing, widening, narrowing, or closing the stream flow unless permission is available.

The project also broke the Government Law No. 35, 1991, article 28, Government Law No. 22, 1982, article 16: 1 and article 23: 2. The sanctions of ignoring the regulation are regulated by Government Law No. 35 article 33 based on Law No. 11, 1974, article 15.

Up till today, according to PERJUANGAN Daily’s trustworthy resources, Renun HEPP still has not had the required permission with them or Renun HEPP, at least, should have published their legality concerning the project.

Acknowledgement;

The article was copied from Saor Sihotang’s report of PERJUANGAN Daily reporter

August 13, 2001