Nanta (left) presents a grant to Tuai Rumah Imbal.

KAPIT: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development monitors the transformation and development of rural communities through state agencies like Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra).

Saying the agency was among the 14 bodies under his ministry, deputy minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said it was tasked to uplift the standard of living of the rural people through in-situ development.

“Salcra is a government body set up by the state government in 1976 to develop the rural areas especially the Iban community to develop their Native Customary Rights (NCR) land to generate income of the community in the rural areas.

“For the record, to date Salcra has been paying millions of ringgit in dividend since its formation to the landowners involved in their projects.

“This shows that Salcra has been very successful with their projects,” he said at the closing of a dialogue on the development of NCR land organised by Salcra in Rumah Imbal at Nanga Sekedai, Temalat in Song district on Saturday afternoon.

“There is no reason for the people to object to the government’s good intention and commitment to bring in development for their benefit such as oil palm plantation to develop their NCR land on a joint venture with Salcra,” he added.

At the same time, Nanta who is also Kapit MP threw a reminder to Salcra that if there were weaknesses in its administration they should be rectified.

“Even the country’s air transport company MAS and Felda had their own weaknesses and likewise if there is weakness in the management of Salcra, then it should be rectified,” he stressed.

Later, he presented grants to the village security and development committees (JKKKs) of Rumah Imbal and Rumah Ismail, and Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) Song branch.

After that, he witnessed the handing over of documents of consent from the local community under the jurisdiction of Penghulu Baleng Jengin to Salcra represented by its general manager Datu Vasco Sabat Singkang for the development of oil palm plantation on their NCR land on a joint venture basis.

Others present at the dialogue were Salcra acting deputy general manager Joseph Blandoi, its head of Landowners Development Henry Daris, political secretaries to the chief minister Jefferson Jamit Unyat and Tengku Geruna, Song district officer Jackline August and community leaders.