MP: Bengoh resettlement ready by next year

PADAWAN: The resettlement for families of the four villages affected by the recently-completed Bengoh Dam should be ready by next year, said Mambong MP Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit.

The construction of the dam, of which Naim Cendera Sdn Bhd (Naim Cendera) was the contractor, began in 2007 covering an area of approximately 1,000 hectares — immediately affecting accessibility to four villages namely Kampung Semban, Kampung Rejoi, Kampung Sait and Kampung Pain Bojang.

“The villagers wanted free houses, which to me is very logical since they are being uprooted from their homes. So what I’ve done is that I had discussed with the Minister of Rural and Regional Development (Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal), to which he responded that the move could not be implemented this year, but next year,” he told The Borneo Post after a Christmas gift presentation ceremony to nine villages surrounding the dam, held at Naim Cendera’s site office near here yesterday.

The new houses under the Housing Assistance Programme (PBR), located near the proposed new Semadang/Bau road near Puncak Borneo, would have each of the 204 families receiving a detached house unit.

“I only have the map for the proposed location for the new housing sites.

‘As such, I plan to have the layout or sub-divisions of the site, of which is being prepared by Naim Cendera.

“According to the minister (Shafie), once the decision is made, he will send his officers for ground inspection,” added Dawos, who is also Deputy Minister of Tourism.

In July, Shafie announced that a total of RM1.32 billion would be allocated for PBRs to build 50,000 houses in the next two years, under the National Key Results Area (NKRA).

“PBRs are specially slated for the poor.

“We should consider these villagers to be under this category as they are being relocated.

“They should be entitled to PBRs as well,” stressed Dawos.

“Of course, relocation will only be done after these houses have been completed,” he added.

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