QUETTA, July 30: The Balochistan government has decided to make special arrangements to provide full security to the Rico Dig copper-cum-gold project in Chagai district.

A meeting presided over by Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi here on Wednesday reviewed security arrangements of the project. Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa, Inspector General Frontier Corps Major General Saleem Nawaz, Inspector General Police Saud Gohar, the home secretary and other officials concerned attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that the companies working on the project had expressed concern over the security situation and informed the authorities about some incidents that took place in the area.

Two foreign companies informed the home department that some influential people of the area were creating hurdles in the working and asking them to recruit their people in the project.

They said that such incidents had become order of the day and were badly affecting work on the project. They further said that some people of the area were demand ing royalty and other incentives claiming that they were the owners of the land where companies were busy in exploration.

Sources said that the representatives of the Rico Dig copper-cum-gold project, who were present on the occasion, briefed the meeting about their problems and the threats being hurled by some elements.

The top security officials of the province informed the meeting about the existing security arrangements in the project area. However, the meeting decided to further enhance security arrangements in and around the project so the companies could perform smoothly on the project.

It was further decided that extra security personnel would be deployed at the site to ensure full security of the staff and the project.