Indonesia Awards Leaders Who Contribute To Transmigration Effort

JAKARTA, Dec 29 (Bernama) -- The Indonesian government for the first time, gave awards of recognition to leaders including six provincial governors and six district officers or mayors, who have contributed a lot to its transmigration effort. The Transmigration Award 2011, which was also given to an academician, an investor and a media organisation, was presented to each of the recipients by Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare, Agung Laksono, at a ceremony, here, Wednesday. The provincial governors who received the award were Ahmad Heryawan (West Java), Soekarwo (East Java), Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (Special District of Yogyakarta), Cornelis (West Kalimantan), Alex Noerdin (South Sumatra) and Nur Alam (Southeast Celebes). The academician is head of the Bogor Agriculture Institute, Prof Dr Sajogyo, who contributed sound ideas on transmigration development, according to a news release from the Manpower and Transmigraton Ministry. Its minister, Muhaimin Iskandar said over the 60 years of implementation, the transmigration development programme had benefited 2.2 million household heads or 8.8 poor or unemployed people, by providing them the opportunity to better their lives. "Through transmigration, 3,325 new villages have been created and developed, with 89 of them expanded to become district capitals," he said. -- BERNAMA Malaysia