Indonesia picks eastern Borneo island for new capital
Jakarta: Indonesia has chosen the eastern edge of jungle-clad Borneo island for its new capital, President Joko Widodo said Monday, as the country looks to shift its political heart away from congested megalopolis Jakarta.
The proposed location -- near the regional cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda -- is in the geographical centre of the Southeast Asian archipelago and an area where the government already owns some 180,000 hectares (445,000 acres) of land, he added.
The site in the province of East Kalimantan is at "minimal" risk of natural disasters, he added.
"As a large nation that has been independent for 74 years, Indonesia has never chosen its own capital," Widodo said in a televised speech.
"The burden Jakarta is holding right now is too heavy as the centre of governance, business, finance, trade and services," he added. The government would draft a bill for the move which would be sent to parliament, Widodo said.
He said the estimated cost of the project was around 466 trillion rupiah (US 33 billion). The move comes as concerns about Jakarta's future soar.
The megacity -- first established by Dutch colonists nearly 500 years ago -- of is one of the fastest-sinking cities on earth, with environmental experts warning that one third of it could be submerged by 2050 if current rates continue.
The problem is largely linked to excessive groundwater extraction.
But the city of 10 million -- a number that bloats to about 30 million with surrounding satellite cities -- is also plagued by a host of other ills, from eye-watering traffic jams and pollution to the risk of earthquakes and floods.
Its foundations have been further stressed by unchecked development and poor urban planning. (AFP)
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Chhattisgarh: FIR against Vedanta group chairman Anil Agarwal, others after blast kills 20 workers
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The Chhattisgarh police on Thursday registered an FIR against Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal and others in connection with the blast at the firm's power plant in Sakti district that claimed 20 lives, an official said.
The explosion occurred on April 14 at the Vedanta plant in Singhitarai village when a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine burst, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries. The incident claimed 20 lives and left 16 persons injured.
A case has been registered at Dabhra police station under sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sakti Superintendent of Police Prafull Thakur said.
"Eight to ten individuals, including Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, have been named in the FIR. If more persons are found responsible during the investigation, their names will be added," Thakur told PTI.
Investigation into the incident is underway and several reports are awaited, including post-mortem reports of the deceased and findings from the forensic science laboratory and the industrial health and safety department, he said.
"A technical team has also been constituted to probe the cause of the blast. Further sections will be added if required after all reports are received," the SP said.
Following the incident, the opposition Congress had demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into it.
