The councilors did not approve the work for 1.34 billion for the completion of Blanka

Prague - Today, during an extraordinary meeting, the councilors did not approve the list and calculation of works amounting to approximately 1.34 billion crowns necessary for the completion of the Blanka tunnel complex after a long debate. In a secret ballot, they expressed their opposition. Deputy Mayor Jiří Nouza (TOP 09) told reporters that he would present the material again at the regular session next week. The tunnel construction has been interrupted for over a quarter of a year.
   "At the town council today, we could have adopted the only possible solution to complete Blanka. The ODS, which is to blame for the situation, rejected this only possible solution," reacted Mayor Tomáš Hudeček (TOP 09). Councilors from ODS refused to participate in the secret ballot, claiming that the single-color council led by TOP 09 is shifting responsibility for the problems with Blanka onto the councilors.
    Work on the key transport construction was halted last December due to disagreements between Prague and Metrostav. The arbitrators have since been resolving the validity of contracts between the city and the construction company, along with the amounts Prague owes the company for completed work, totaling 2.7 billion crowns. Prague stopped paying in mid-2012 due to concerns about violating public procurement laws.
    The list of works necessary to complete the construction is set to be delivered to the arbitration court at the beginning of April. Until the councilors approve it, according to Nouza, the court, which alone can open the way to the long-delayed commissioning of Blanka, cannot discuss it either. "We hope that the court will ultimately impose the obligation on Metrostav to build and on Prague to pay," said the deputy mayor. "It is necessary to take political responsibility. I have concerns too, but I have made a decision," he added.
    The biggest debate at the council focused on the fact that councilors would take responsibility for the problematic construction through the vote. Previously, they had never voted on Blanka. Contracts for the construction of the tunnel did not even pass through the council. A court is also set to decide on their validity.
    Councilor Josef Nosek (ODS), who was in charge of Blanka as a councilor until mid-year, said today that he regularly undergoes long interrogations by the police due to the problematic construction. "You are trying to shift responsibility onto us," he said in a speech directed at councilors from TOP 09. "The only reason for today’s meeting is to dilute responsibility among all councilors," added former mayor and opposition councilor Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS).
    According to lawyer Jiří Hartmann, who represents Prague in the dispute, this is not the case. "You are only giving permission for this proposal to be discussed by the arbitration court," he told the councilors. Hudeček reminded that the reimbursement of invoices was halted when ODS led Prague and Svoboda was mayor. "I would like to remind you that after years of agony, we are facing the possibility of resolving the situation," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Vávra (TOP 09) before the vote. "Any prolongation will bring further losses for the capital city. Let us dignifiedly close this undignified chapter of Prague's history," he urged the councilors.
    The problematic construction, which is expected to cost Prague about 36 billion crowns, was originally supposed to open in the spring. The current leadership of Prague is now talking about the end of August or the beginning of September. The repeatedly postponed commissioning date of Blanka depends not only on the course of the arbitration. Metrostav has previously stated that the resumption and completion of work will take several months. Further delays may also arise from the fact that Prague currently does not have a dispatch center to manage operations in the tunnel. Nouza reiterated today that in the case of long-term interruption of construction, annual damages could amount to up to 1.5 billion crowns.