Casagrande releases R$ 540 million to help the state recover.
In a press interview, Governor Renato Casagrande announced a series of measures aimed at helping the affected municipalities recover; the government estimates spending R$ 540 million on repairing bridges, roads, schools, building houses, and other investments.
Marcelo Brandão
Reporter from Agência Brasil
Brasilia - After the storm that caused serious damage to the population and infrastructure of the stateThe government of Espírito Santo is preparing for reconstruction. In a press interview this afternoon (2), at Palácio Anchieta, Governor Renato Casagrande announced a series of measures aimed at recovering the affected municipalities. They were called the Espírito Santo Reconstruction Plan. The government estimates spending R$ 540 million on the recovery of bridges, roads, schools, construction of houses, among other investments.
Among the measures announced is the creation of the so-called Reconstruction Card. Families holding the card will receive R$ 2,5 to purchase appliances or construction materials. R$ 15 million will be allocated to the Reconstruction Card. To receive the money, families affected by the rains must be registered in the federal government's single registry for social programs (CadÚnico). They must have an income of up to three minimum wages.
Families with incomes between three and six minimum wages will be able to obtain a special line of credit, with lower interest rates, to finance the purchase of appliances and furniture. In addition, the government plans to spend R$ 72 million on the construction of affordable housing. The initial plan is to build 1.500 houses for homeless families, whose situation has been verified by Civil Defense and municipal administrations.
An additional R$65 million will be spent on road repairs in rural areas. The government estimates that 750 kilometers of highways will need repairs. Besides its own resources, the state expects to secure funding from the federal government. The forecast is to obtain R$44,8 million to build and repair bridges.
An additional R$150 million will be spent on highways, R$120 million on paving urban areas, and R$34 million on canal cleaning and dredging operations.
In a statement published in website Government official Casagrande emphasized that the numbers may still change during the work. "The plan is comprehensive and arose from this new need to serve almost the entire state, since more than 50 of our 78 municipalities are affected," he said.
Casagrande also announced that a working meeting will be held next week with mayors, technical teams from the affected cities, and representatives from the state and federal governments. The idea is to "speed up the collaborative work so that the plan is well executed and so that there is support in the preparation of municipal plans."