Criticism has mounted over the government’s lack of discussion regarding the Rp 155 billion ($15.7 million) fund allocation in the 2013 state budget for the management of the Sidoarjo mud volcano in East Java.
The announcement of compensation in the revised budget, approved last night, has raised concerns about the government’s ability to swiftly compensate residents whose homes and land were swamped by the still-growing lake of mud that began gushing in May 2006.
It also triggered questions over whether a political deal between the Democratic Party and the Golkar Party had been involved in the budgeting. (more…)