Strong government should overturn limits on mining, says interim industry minister

The minister of industry and trade in the current caretaker cabinet, Vladimír Tošovský, says if a strong government is formed it should overturn current limits on coal mining. Speaking at a conference on mining in Plzeň, he said the leaders of the three parties in the frame to make up the next government had previously displayed an unwillingness to address the matter. Nevertheless, Mr Tošovský said, the time is right for such a change. Ending limits on mining is one element of an energy plan that should be considered by the Czech government in September. The limits were imposed in 1991, guaranteeing municipalities near Most in north Bohemia that they would not be razed to allow the mining of the coal that lies beneath them.