QUETTA: All equipment, including heavy machineries, generators and vehicles, purchased for the abandoned Balochistan Copper and Gold Project have been shifted to Quetta from the project site in Chagai district.

Officials concerned informed this to Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri during his visit to the project’s office in Quetta.

They said the project was launched by Dr Samar Mubarak Mand before 2013. But, they added, before the formal launching of the project Rs890 million had been spent on the purchase of the equipment. They said despite use of huge funds for the purchase of expensive equipment, including luxury vehicles, the work on the project could not begin.

They said Dr Mand, who was head of the project, was running the project from Islamabad.

The aim of this project was to re-launch the Reko Diq Cooper and Gold project in Chagai district.

The coalition government of former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch stopped funding of the Balochistan Copper and Gold Project by saying that it had not proved productive for the province and that it had become a financial burden on the finances of the province. Later, the Balochistan government closed the project.

The officials said all the equipment had been lying idle at the project site since its closure by the provincial government.

Mr Zehri termed the use of huge funds for the purchase of equipment before launching of the project a waste of national resources. He said his government would use the equipment of the Balochistan Copper and Gold Project for other people’s welfare schemes. He inspected the equipment and machinery dumped in the project’s Quetta office and directed officials there to make arrangement for proper care of the equipment.

The chief minister also inspected the under construction Shuhada-i-Zehri flyover at Koila Phatak area and directed the officials there to complete work on the flyover by Aug 14, saying that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be invited to inaugurate the flyover and other related projects. The work on the flyover should continue day and night for its timely completion, he added.

The chief minister was informed that 90 per cent work on the project had been complete at a cost of Rs1.5 billion. He was informed that the work on Samungli Road was under way. The cost of this road project is Rs2 billion and it will likely be inaugurated by the prime minister.

Mr Zehri said while launching new development projects planners should take care that they would not have bad impact on environment. “We need to protect environment for future generations.”

He said with the allocation of funds for construction of roads and bridges, government agencies should also earmark funds for forestation and tree plantation.

The chief minister expressed concern over wall chalking in Quetta, saying that all relevant government departments should work for beautification of the city.

He said action should be taken against those who were defacing city walls. He said pillars of the flyover should be painted according to Baluchistan’s art and culture.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2017