New Icon of Gresik Heritage Tourism Revitalized, Budget Reach IDR 38.3 billion

JAKARTADAILY.ID -- The Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) is revitalizing the Gresik Kota Lama (GKL) area in East Java through the City Without Slums Program (KOTAKU). The arrangement of the GKL area includes Arab Village, Colonial Village and Chinatown Village.

PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said, the KOTAKU Program is a form of collaboration between the PUPR Ministry and the Regional Government in encouraging and empowering local communities as development actors, especially small-scale infrastructure or simple jobs that do not require technology, starting from planning, implementation and supervision.

"Slum area arrangement like this is not only carried out in settlements along rivers, but also in other places such as settlements near landfills or densely populated villages in urban areas," said Minister Basuki in a press release, Tuesday June 14, 2022.

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The GKL area arrangement is carried out by the Ministry of PUPR through the East Java Regional Settlement Infrastructure Center (BPPW) of the Directorate General of Human Settlements with a budget of Rp. 38.3 billion. This arrangement will begin in December 2021 and is targeted for completion in August 2022.

The arrangement of the GKL area includes Arab Village, Colonial Village and Chinatown Village. The concept of structuring the Arab Village Area is expected to encourage the development of religious tourism which is one unit with the Maulana Malik Ibrahim Tomb.

In addition, there is the Colonial Village area which will become a single unit and be integrated with the Packaging Village and Arab Village as well as Chinatown Village.

The scope of the arrangement includes urban drainage works, earthworks, granulated pavement and cement concrete pavement, asphalt pavement, structures, restoration of conditions and minor works as well as boreholes.

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Head of East Java BPPW Muhammad Reva said that in addition to changing the face of the Gresik heritage area into one of the tourist icons of Gresik City, this arrangement also aims to reduce puddles in Gresik District.

Hasan, a community leader around Syeh Maulana Malik Ibrahim's Tomb, said he was pleased with the arrangement carried out by the Ministry of PUPR.

"We really support the arrangement of the Gresik Heritage area, because it makes the environment of the religious area of ​​the Malik Ibrahim Tomb cleaner, more beautiful to look at and certainly more comfortable for pilgrims or those who have religious tours in Gresik," he said.