DENPASAR

Denpasar city authorities are going ahead with the demolition of illegal dwellings on government land.

Last week dozens of makeshift homes built on vacant lots in the city’s upmarket Renon district — home to government departments and other official buildings — were bulldozed, despite protests from residents, many of who claimed they had been sub-let their plots on 12-month contracts.

A further six homes on state land are now due for demolition.

“Government assets are still tied up. This step is meant to free them up for the benefit of wider society,” said spokesman I Putu Suardhika on Wednesday, adding that the residents of the illegal dwellings had been issued with a verbal warning, telling them to leave ahead of forced evictions.

“We’re giving the verbal warning first. If it’s not successful we’ll issue a letter informing them of their eviction,” he said.

Suardhika said the authorities would listen to complaints and claims of the people living on the government land before removing them.

“If they have a certificate of ownership, then they are welcome to show it to us. But if not then they had better leave this government land,” he said.