JAKARTA – Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto, accompanied by Deputy Minister Ahmad Riza Patria, visited the Indonesian National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) to meet with Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Kapolri) General Suyudi Ario Seto at the Rupatama Building on Friday afternoon (October 30, 2026).

Following the meeting, Minister Yandri expressed full commitment to supporting the Polisi Peduli Pengangguran (Poliran / Police Caring for the Unemployed) program, emphasizing that it directly aligns with the ministry's 12 Actions to Build Villages, Build Indonesia framework.

"We execute the Export Village (Desa Ekspor) program, which is capable of absorbing substantial labor forces, alongside the Tourism Village (Desa Wisata) program, which likewise demands considerable manpower," Minister Yandri stated.

Minister Yandri added that the ministry also manages food-focused Thematic Village (Desa Tematik) initiatives—such as Egg-Laying Poultry Villages and Tilapia Farming Villages—which will serve as raw material suppliers for the national Free Nutritious Meal (Makan Bergizi Gratis / MBG) program.

He expressed confidence that integrating these initiatives with the Poliran program will ensure overall operational success.

Additionally, the bilateral meeting addressed joint collaboration on the Drug-Free Village (Desa Bebas Narkoba / Desa Bersinar) program, alongside measures to curb illicit alcohol distribution across rural regions.

Minister Yandri underscored the necessity of fortifying preventive mechanisms, noting that narcotics abuse, illegal alcohol trade, and related criminal activities disrupt public security and impede daily village life.

"Our focus across all 75,266 villages is to ensure that illicit drugs do not penetrate rural populations. We stand fully prepared to execute this collaboration through the Desa Bersinar initiative," Minister Yandri emphasized.

The Minister invited 10 major national village associations to support implementation, highlighting that organized rural networks will expand the reach of public education and drug prevention campaigns directly to grassroots communities.

Meanwhile, Chief of Police General Suyudi affirmed that the Indonesian National Police and Kemendes PDT are deepening strategic cooperation to combat drug distribution down to the village level, primarily through the expansion of the Desa Bersinar (Drug-Clean Village) framework.

"Together with the Ministry of Villages, we aim to collaborate more closely in delivering literacy and preventive education to our communities and youth, from the primary to secondary levels," General Suyudi stated.

General Suyudi noted that this partnership is imperative because drug networks no longer target urban centers exclusively, but have actively expanded into rural areas. He warned that substance abuse and alcohol illicit trade directly trigger public order and security (kamtibmas) disruptions.

The Desa Bersinar initiative serves as a core collaborative mechanism to foster drug-free village environments. General Suyudi expressed hope for the program's nationwide rollout across all regions.

Another collaborative initiative involves the Polisi Peduli Pengangguran (Poliran) program. General Suyudi emphasized that unemployment requires prioritized institutional intervention, as joblessness often correlates with security disruptions.

Under Poliran, the National Police will assist in recruiting, training, and placing unemployed individuals into corporate partners seeking workforce additions.

"Our vision is to assist unemployed citizens—including individuals post-rehabilitation who have yet to secure employment—by channeling them into productive work. This will help reduce crime rates and maintain a stable, conducive security environment," General Suyudi explained.

Accompanying Minister Yandri at the meeting were Secretary-General Taufik Madjid, Inspector General Masyhudi, Director General of Economic Development and Investment Tabrani, Head of the Information Development Agency Mulyadin Malik, and Special Staff to the Minister Fahad Attamimi.

Photo: Sigit/Kemendes PDT 
Author: Firman/Kemendes PDT