JAKARTA, InfoSAWIT – Indonesia's Ministry of Transmigration has launched an investigation into allegations that land designated for a transmigration settlement overlaps with a palm oil plantation concession in Mekar Jaya Village, West Kikim District, Lahat Regency, South Sumatra.
The inquiry follows a complaint submitted by the Indonesian Action Activists Network (JAKSI) and forms part of the government's broader effort to resolve longstanding land tenure issues affecting transmigration areas across the country.
Minister of Transmigration M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara said the ministry will coordinate with the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) to verify the legal status of the disputed land and determine whether any irregularities occurred during the issuance of land rights.
The minister noted that the government is currently working to complete land certification for more than 80,000 transmigrant families, covering approximately 129,000 land parcels, making accurate verification of land records a national priority.
According to an official statement cited by InfoSAWIT on Monday (July 20), JAKSI representative Dodo Arman said the transmigration program in Mekar Jaya began in the early 1980s. However, social conflict forced many settlers to abandon the area.
Based on documents held by local residents, JAKSI believes that part of the transmigrants' cultivation land is now located within the Right-to-Cultivate (HGU) concession of a palm oil plantation company.
The organization has urged the government to review the historical land administration process and restore community land rights if irregularities are confirmed.
Responding to the allegations, Iftitah said the Ministry of Transmigration will compare community documents with official government archives to determine whether the disputed area is legally recognized as transmigration land under a valid Land Management Right (HPL).
"If our investigation finds any irregularities, the government will follow up in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations. Any settlement must be based on facts, verified data, and legal certainty to protect the rights of the affected communities," he said.
The minister explained that resolving land disputes in transmigration areas requires close coordination between ministries. While the Ministry of Transmigration is responsible for matters related to HPL status, authority over the issuance or cancellation of HGU concessions rests with ATR/BPN.
Meanwhile, Sigit Mustofa, Director General for Transmigration Area Development, said ministry records show that the Mekar Jaya transmigration project was implemented between 1982 and 1984, accommodating 250 households under a Land Management Right decree covering 5,953.10 hectares.
He explained that the settlers were originally allocated residential plots as well as two categories of agricultural land, and ownership certificates for those entitlements had been issued.
However, field validation has indicated that part of the second cultivation area may overlap with an existing oil palm plantation concession, requiring further verification through cross-agency data matching.
The ministry will also review the findings of a previous dispute resolution process conducted in 2020 before comparing those records with ATR/BPN data and documents submitted by local residents to accurately establish the boundaries of both the transmigration area and the plantation concession.
As a next step, Iftitah has instructed ministry officials to conduct field verification, reconcile HPL records with ATR/BPN data, and examine all documentation provided by affected communities. He also requested JAKSI's assistance in facilitating meetings with residents who claim to have been impacted.
The government expects the verification process to provide legal certainty and serve as the basis for resolving the dispute if it confirms that community land rights have been affected by overlapping land claims. (T2)
