Drought: lawmakers argue about who did 'more' at meeting.

Bahia 247

The government and opposition benches in the Legislative Assembly clashed at the public hearing promoted by the House's Environment, Drought and Water Resources Committee to discuss the devastating effects of the drought that has plagued Bahia and the Northeast for two years and is considered one of the worst in history.

The Chief of Staff and pre-candidate for governor of the state for the PT party, Rui Costa, spoke for almost two hours to present the measures adopted by Jaques Wagner's administration with the aim of alleviating the suffering of the people of the Sertão region. The minority deputies countered the PT candidate's arguments, stating that much more had been done during the administration of former governor Paulo Souto, of the DEM party.

The parliamentarians concluded that it is necessary to 'reduce bureaucracy' in the procedures so that the actions reach the municipalities. The chairman of the committee, Deputy Leur Lomanto Jr. (PMDB), assessed that the debate was important to clarify which of the announced actions have reached the places most affected by the drought.

"We fulfilled our role of discussing the demands of the drought, which can help organizations and entities to better manage this difficult period and mitigate the losses for producers, farmers, and all citizens who have been impacted by the phenomenon. It was a great opportunity for the government to highlight what has been done, for the deputies to present their ideas, questions, and proposals, and for the public present to assess the problem."

Although he faced considerable pressure from opposition MPs, who challenged the data presented, Secretary Rui Costa highlighted the meeting as positive. "This is the house of the people and of politics. It was excellent because it brought more information to Parliament and provides us with new elements and ideas."

According to him, the government has been investing in programs and projects in the semi-arid region, such as the construction of the Juazeiro water pipeline, which will serve 38 municipalities, benefiting 1,1 million people. According to the state coordinator, the federal government should also invest around R$2 billion in Bahia, including infrastructure projects, financing, and drought relief funds.

Minority leader, Representative Elmar Nascimento (PR), disputed the data. "If they had spent all that money, we wouldn't be talking about drought in Bahia anymore. Seven years of government and only now have they identified that they need to carry out infrastructure projects?"

The government leader, Deputy Zé Neto (PT), countered, saying that it was the previous administration that stood idly by. "We need to leave here with less political grandstanding and more solutions."