Bandung (22/4) - Member of Commission V of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, Anang Susanto, said that "This labor-intensive activity is part of the Government's participation in helping the standard of living due to the COVID-19 pandemic," explained Anang Susanto, in his remarks during a visit to the location of the construction of the Double Track Segment I Gedebage – Haurpugur Railway at the Operational Control Room (RKO) Field of Rancaekek Station, Wednesday (21/04).

"Based on the program from the President and members of the Indonesian House of Representatives, because something related to Covid means that the program must be linked to the empowerment of Labor Intensive, this means that Labor Intensive can help a little, helping the community to prosper," explained Anang Susanto.

Anang also explained that "The Labor Intensive Program must be able to be carried out by people around the project and there will be no environmental effects from the construction of the double-track because he believes that the Directorate General of Railways has made careful planning beforehand."

In addition, other members of Commission V of the House of Representatives, expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the implementation of labor-intensive activities by the Ministry of Transportation "I express my gratitude and appreciation for the implementation of this labor-intensive activity which has involved residents of Rancaekek in this work," said Bambang Hermanto, Member of Commission V the House of Representatives.

Bambang also added, "One of the goals of the labor-intensive is how to improve the local economy, then the labor-intensive activities that are now followed by those who do not have the skills, maybe in the future our hope, me and all of us is that those who have now participated in the Solidarity program. This work is going to the next stage or level, so it will no longer be if there is a workload tomorrow, no longer as unskilled but as workers who have already gained experience, "explained Bambang.

Bambang also hopes that in addition to empowering the local community so that they can contribute to the community's economy, there is also a transfer of knowledge to the local community so that in the future the work in the Rancaekek area becomes the right of the people of the Rancaekek area. Bambang also encouraged that the programs that had been launched by the Directorate General of Railways could be completed on time, including the double-track development project, to become one of the tools to accelerate the economic growth of the community.

The Review of the labor-intensive Program of the West Java Regional Railways Engineering Office (BTP JABAR) by Commission V of the House of Representatives was accompanied by the Director of Railways Infrastructure, Heru Wisnu Wibowo, along with the Head of West Java Regional Railways Engineering Office, Erni Basri, and the Muspida, Muspika and village officials.

Heru Wisnu Wibowo in his speech said that the labor-intensive program is an effort to involve the community around the project, "All of this is part of the efforts of the Ministry of Transportation, in this case, the Directorate General of Railways to involve the community around the project, so that there is a contribution in development. for this community,” explained Vishnu.

In addition, Heru Wisnu added that the workers were previously given training so that they could do several jobs such as ironing, excavation and painting work. Wisnu hopes that workers always use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and maintain health protocols because if one of the workers is exposed to Covid-19 then work must be stopped for some time.

"Alhamdulillahirabbil'alamin, one of the manifestations of the benefits of our project today by involving the community in the project area has been present here, gentlemen, as many as 150 people who work for our project where the subdistrict locations are from Gedebage and Rancaekek," said Erni Basri in his speech.

Erni explained that the double track construction project has been started since 2020 which is planned to be operational in 2022. It is hoped that with the construction of a better station than before, the benefits received by the community will not only be when the project is ongoing but also when the project is completed. and the community's economy can be much better. The labor-intensive implementation target for the double-track development project itself is until 2021.

"This program is good and for the future, the unemployed should be prioritized in each region and accommodate more workers," said Engking, one of the labor-intensive workers, expressing his appreciation.

In 2020, the West Java Regional Railways Engineering Office's Labor-Intensive  Program itself has absorbed as many as 542 workers consisting of the community around the double-track development project. The purpose of the Labor-Intensive Program itself is to reduce the number of unemployed, underemployed, and the poor, foster a sense of togetherness, mutual cooperation, and community participation, improve the quality and quantity of community empowerment, realize increasing access of the poor, women, children, and marginalized groups to basic services based on a community empowerment approach, generating social and economic activities for the community and creating job opportunities through self-managed and cash-intensive development activities.

With the implementation of the labor-intensive program, it is hoped that there will be an increase in production and added value, expansion of temporary job opportunities, expansion of access to basic services, and improvement of village accessibility (opening of isolated villages).

The scope of labor-intensive activities includes excavation work, drainage construction, temporary track unloading, cable backfill, land clearing, retaining wall work, ballast and rail retail, and cook/office cleaning. The implementation of the Labor-Intensive Program refers to the Regulation of the Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia Number PM 73 of 2018 concerning Procedures for the Implementation of the Labor-Intensive Program within the Ministry of Transportation.