PM pledges billions for clean-up operation

Prime Minister Petr Nečas has pledged CZK 5.3 billion towards dealing with the impact of the floods. Speaking at the village of Zálezlice in central Bohemia, which was also devastated in 2002, Mr. Nečas said most of the money would come from this year’s budget, while some would be found in a fund for road and rail infrastructure. He said the country would also seek help from the EU’s Solidarity Fund and has discussed the matter with senior officials from Saxony, which has also suffered from flooding. Meanwhile, public collections have gathered around CZK 3 million for victims.