Preventing Absentee Land Ownership in Karanganyar Regency

Abstract

Absentee ownership of agricultural land remains a practical challenge because ownership by persons living outside the relevant sub-district may weaken direct cultivation, complicate supervision, and reduce the effectiveness of agrarian reform. This study examines the measures used to prevent absentee land ownership and the obstacles encountered in Karanganyar Regency, with field research focused on Colomadu District. The research uses an empirical legal method with a qualitative, socio-juridical approach. Primary data were obtained from interviews with officials of the Karanganyar Land Office, Colomadu District officials, absentee landowners, and persons involved in agricultural land management, while secondary data were drawn from agrarian legislation and relevant legal literature. The findings show that the Karanganyar Land Office applies strict verification of land-right transfers, public education, self-service land administration, field inspections, inter-agency coordination, and domicile validation through PPAT and land-registration procedures. Major obstacles include weak public awareness, manipulation of domicile information, economic pressure on local farmers, fragmented population and land data, and uneven enforcement. Effective prevention therefore requires integrated digital data, stronger village-level monitoring, consistent PPAT screening, broader legal education, and regulatory adjustment to current mobility and land-market conditions.