The Public Defender’s Office of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, through the deputy general public defender for Legal Affairs, Alexandre Brandão Rodrigues, and Corsan signed, this Friday (15), an agreement to be exempt from charges for 30 days , all families directly affected by the flood that devastated several cities in the Taquari Valley. The exemption period is extended to 90 days for families registered with the social tariff.
:: ‘Are disasters natural?’ Experts debate the issue at the premiere of the Brasil de Fato program ::
Also signed by mayors of the region and the Public Ministry of RS (MPRS), the document provides that residents of the cities of Arroio do Meio, Bom Retiro do Sul, Cruzeiro do Sul, Encantado, Estrela, Lajeado and Roca Sales receive not only the exemption from water tariffs, as well as the guarantee that there will be no cuts in service supply in the event of default. The benefit will also be valid for 30 days, including for water bills that fell due on September 2nd, the day the flood hit the cities.
“This agreement was created after intense and rapid dialogue with Corsan, in which there was a consensus and the distributor’s awareness that the reality being experienced in the region is very sad. People, who have their commitments and are worried about paying their invoices, needed support, some measure that would make it possible to maintain punctuality and the payment of these bills”, explains public defender Rafael Magagnin, director of the Center for Consumer Law and Collective Protections of DPE/RS.
As detailed by the Defender’s Office, the inclusion of consumer units will be done based on their location, through georeferencing and geoprocessing carried out by the sanitation company. Both residences and businesses will benefit from the term.
“After 30 days, the situation will be reassessed by the Institutions and Corsan, and the deadline may even be extended if it is deemed necessary and the measures have proven to be effective”, explains Magagnin.
:: Climate crisis: the tragedy announced by the climate clock ::
The people who helped welcome the victims and who reside in one of these seven cities were also included in the agreement. For them, the value of the water bill will be calculated based on the average consumption of the last six months. Those who helped by welcoming families into their homes or even contributed by washing their clothes that were covered in mud after the flood will be able to contact public bodies – city halls, social assistance, Corsan, DPE/RS and MPRS – to prepare the declaration that must be sent to the Corsan for the adjustment to be made to the account.
The Public Defender’s Office also worked in the cities of Muçum and Santa Tereza, which have their own water service supply, signing an agreement directly with the city halls to grant total exemption from paying tariffs. Negotiations with RGE, the region’s electricity concession company, continue to be carried out along the same lines to exempt the service.
*The information is from the Communication Department of the Public Defender’s Office of RS
Source: BdF Rio Grande do Sul
Editing: Marcelo Ferreira
