Hejtman: We will build the scientific library in Ostrava more cheaply

Ostrava - The leadership of the Moravian-Silesian Region (KSČM and ČSSD) claims that they will build the Moravian-Silesian Scientific Library in the future, but cheaper than the original project estimated. This was stated to journalists by Governor Jaroslav Palas (ČSSD). The region announced in mid-April that it was postponing the construction indefinitely due to a lack of funds. The library was supposed to cost about 1.5 billion crowns, and the new budget could be about one-third of that.
    The region justified the postponement of the construction by stating that the Ministry of Culture did not release the planned 220 million crowns for this year due to the economic crisis. "We will deal with this, but we will be looking for simpler and more economical options. We will be searching for a building that could be renovated," said Palas. He did not rule out the construction of a new building either. The governor is convinced that a building costing half a billion will be able to meet the library's needs.
    Originally, the library was to be financed not only from the region's and state's resources but primarily from the European Union. The European Commission had already approved funding of approximately 600 million crowns for the library's construction.
    The new regional leadership is now in a dispute with the opposition ODS, which was previously leading the region, over who is to blame for the failure of the original project.
    According to Palas, the Ministry of Culture decided not to release the planned funds for this year not only because of the economic crisis but also because the region canceled the tender for the supplier last year. The ODS, on the other hand, defends itself by stating that the cheapest bid exceeded the planned construction costs by 200 million crowns. According to the opposition councilors from ODS, the new regional leadership had five months to announce a new tender. The former leadership of the region also claims that it felt it was inappropriate to announce a new competition just before the elections. Councilor Pavel Drobil (ODS) stated that Palas consciously deprived the region of an investment of one billion crowns with his stance and should resign from his position.
    Despite the fact that the region already has 600 million crowns from European funds for the library, it does not plan to keep the money as a reserve for the announced cheaper project. The money is now intended for the development of education, healthcare, and social affairs. According to Palas, in the future, the cheaper version of the library should be funded from state funds and regional resources.
    The Moravian-Silesian Scientific Library has been located in completely inadequate premises for years. The library was established in 1951, and even then, its current location in rented space of the New Town Hall was considered a temporary solution. Its collection includes over a million titles and is among the largest in the country. It is visited by an average of up to 1,000 people daily.