Under Article 1 of Law Number 20 of 1961 on Revocation of Rights of Land and/or Objects Over the Land (“Law No.20/1961″), President in an urgent circumstance after hearing the Minister of Agrarian Affairs, Minister of Justice and the related Minister may revoke the rights of land and/or objects over the land. Revocation of rights of land and objects over the land can be performed if the land and/or objects over the land are needed for public interest, including the nation’s interests and the common interests of the people, as well as for development purposes.

Submission of the Request of Revocation of Rights of Land

Under Article 2 of Law No.20/1961, the request of revocation of rights of land and/or objects over the land is proposed by an interested party to the President with the intercession of the Minister of Agrarian Affairs (now the Head of the National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia), through the Head of Inspection Agrarian (now the Local Office of Provincial National Land Agency). The request is accompanied with:

1.land-use plan and the reasons;

2.information about the owner of the rights, and location of the land, size of the land, and the type of right of land that will be revoked;

3.shelter plan for the party whose rights will be revoked.

The Process of Revocation of Rights of Land

1. After receiving the submission of request for revocation of rights of land, the Local Office of Provincial National Land Agency asks for the consideration of Local Government’s Head to give its consideration about the request of revocation of rights of land. However, the Local Office of Provincial National Land Agency also asks for the consideration of the appraiser committee to estimate the compensation costs.
2. Within a period not later than 3 (three) months, the Local Government’s Head should have submitted its consideration and the appraiser committee has to tell the estimation of the compensation costs to the Local Office of Provincial National Land Agency. After obtaining the consideration and estimation of the compensation costs, the Local Office of Provincial National Land Agency submits the request for revocation of rights of land to the Head of the National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia.
3. If within 3 (three) months the Local Government’s Head and appraiser committee has not submitted its consideration, the Local Office of Provincial National Land Agency may submit the request for revocation of rights of land to the head of the National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia, without waiting for the consideration from the Local Government’s Head and appraiser committee.
4. Head of National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia submits the request for revocation of rights of land to the President accompanied with the consideration of Minister of Justice and the related Minister. Submission of revocation of rights of land must be implemented to obtain the President’s decision regarding the revocation of rights of land.

Revocation of Rights of Land in an Urgent Circumstances

Under Article 6 of the Law No.20/1961, it regulates that in urgent circumstances, the Local Office of Provincial National Land Agency, after receiving a request for revocation of rights of land, can directly propose the request of revocation of rights of land to the Head of the National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia without the consideration of Local Government’s Head and the estimation of the compensation from appraiser committee.

Based on the request, the Head of National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia issued a decision letter that provides permission for the interested party to control the land and the object over the land. The decision letter will be followed by presidential decision on the request of revocation of rights of land to be granted or rejected. If the request is rejected, the interested party has to return the land and/or related object to its original condition, and/or give equivalent compensation to the owner of the rights of land.

Decree of the Head of National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia on the revocation of rights of land is published in the State Gazette of the Republic of Indonesia and its derivatives will be given to the owner of rights of land and/or objects whose rights were revoked. The content of the decision letter also be announced through the newspapers. The cost of the announcement is carried out by the interested party.

Compensation

Under Article 8 of Law No.20/1961, if the owner of the rights of land whose land will be revoked does not accept compensation because the amount of the compensation is considered less, then he can propose for appeal to the High Court that jurisdiction covers the location of the land and/or related object. The court will determine the amount of compensation.

After the decision letter of the revocation of rights of land is implemented and the compensation is paid, then the land which right of land is revoked is directly controlled by the state.

Maria Amanda