Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 16, 1992

In the morning, after praying and having breakfast and listening to the news, we went to the Iranian transformer factory in the east of Zanjan. They make power and distribution transformers. Its development plan will be completed soon. This factory provides the needs of the country.

From there, we went to open a lead production factory with a melting capacity of 40,000 tons per year. Lead and zinc concentrates are brought from Angoran mine. It turned out that it can produce up to seventy thousand tons of lead. Furnace, silos, warehouse, foundry and oxygen production were visited. I spoke to guests and employees. Mr. [Hossein] Mahluji, [Minister of Mines and Metals] reported. I welcomed a group of employees of the foreign company who came for supervision and delivery. They said that the entire equipment was installed by the Iranians and supervised by them.

We went to Qazvin-Zanjan road to see Azad construction works. It is being built with the participation of the National Bank and the Ministry of Roads and Transport. It is a huge plan and it is going well; There are nearly two hundred kilometers of six-lane highway with 700 bridges and 43 million cubic meters of earth removal and demolition. They had paved part of it. A group of people had gathered around. Mr. [Mohammed] Saidi Kia, [Minister of Roads and Transport] gave a report and I spoke briefly.

Then we flew to Qazvin. We arrived in Qazvin an hour and a half late. The reception of the people was magnificent and disorderly. Our car was surrounded by people and could not move for a while. I participated in the gathering of the people in the mosque of the city - Masjid al-Nabbi. Imam Juma said welcome and I spoke. People were demanding the separation of Qazvin from Zanjan and the formation of an independent province with slogans and placards.

After lunch and rest at the governor's office, in the evening I attended the meeting of the families of the martyrs and consoled them. Then we went to Alborz industrial city with 900 hectares area and 350 industrial units and green and clean environment. We visited the agricultural chemical factory. The manager of the factory complained about the import of poison from abroad with the government currency of seven tomans, which prevents their production with a competitive and free currency. The manager of the town explained. I gave a speech to the workers and managers.

In the evening, we came to the seminary of Shahr and participated in the gathering of students. The imam of Friday and the representative of the city said congratulations and praised me a lot. In a short speech, I mentioned the need to reform the program and way of education and life of the clergy, and regarding the demand for living in institutional housing, I promised help and returned to the governorship.

The CEO of Qazvin plain came and gave good explanations about the huge construction plan of Qazvin plain and its problems and wrong decisions after the revolution. I am going to visit tomorrow.