QUETTA - Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani has declared that Reko Diq Copper-Gold Project will be operated by the experts of Balochistan government, and it will be linked with Saindak Copper Project after the expiry of the contract agreement in October, 2011 with a metallurgical construction company of China. According to an official handout issued here Friday, the CM was chairing the first meeting of Board of Governors (BOG) of Reko Diq Copper-Gold Project on the special invitation by BOG President Dr Samar Mubarkmand at Islamabad here on Friday. The meeting was attended among others by Minister Finance Mir Asim Kurd Gillu, Chief Secretary Mir Ahmed Bakhsh Lehri, secretaries of Finance, Mines and Mineral and Industries & Commerce departments besides experts from the Planning Commission. Opening the plenary session, CM Raisani said that Reko Diq project was vital not only for Balochistan but equally for the country, as it would be capable of meeting countrys copper requirements, which at present was being imported involving precious foreign exchange. He also directed that complete transparency and merit-based policy should be ensured during the course of recruitment in the project. He said that the government had the will and determination to had the 18th Constitutional amendment approved unanimously, and the decision to take full control of Reko Diq was not a great step as such. He maintained that 100 megawatt of electricity would be imported from Iran for the project. He said that the source of funding for the project would be arranged largely by the Balochistan government whereas the Federal government would also help out in this regard. The CM also said that vocational training institute would be established at the site to produce skilled and technical personnel for the project at local level. He said once the project started production of finished copper, the countrys copper import would drastically come down. On the occasion the renowned nuclear scientist and member Science and Technology of the Planning Commission, Dr Samad Mubarakmand explained the salient features of the Reko Diq Copper-Gold Project. The BOG also expressed satisfaction over the measures so far taken on the future of the project.