Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – May 15, 1992

The shrine was deserted. After visiting Imam Reza (a.s.) and listening to the news and reading reports and having breakfast, we went to visit and open the Saman serum factory. It has the capacity to produce twenty million serums per year; It is very modern. It has been achieved at a cost of 14.5 million dollars and 900 million tomans. With this factory and other factories to

We have reached self-sufficiency and we will have exports.

From there we flew by helicopter to the height of Kalat peak. The high power TV transmitter was opened with four 25 kW transmitters for two channels and a very tall mast. [Mr. Mohammad Hashemi], CEO [Seda and Sima Organization] gave explanations and I spoke. A group of nearby villagers - Khor - had gathered next to it. They asked for electricity and road, which I accepted from the credit of deprived areas.

We flew to the model village of "Kene Beis" from the farms of Astan Quds Razavi.

Mr. [Vaez] Tabasi and Mr. Natiq [Nuri] also came. After prayer, lunch and rest, the CEO's explanations about the development of cattle breeding and weaving carpets and...freezing of peaches and apricots were heard.

We flew to the south of Torbat Heydarieh to open the operational works of the Jafari dam in Mashhad. Many villagers from the region and city officials had gathered. After explaining the official, the representative of the city and the herd about not going to Torbet, I spoke. It is a small earthen dam to contain 72 million cubic meters of water and to irrigate four thousand hectares. There, I gave a brief speech to the officials and villagers at two points. They were very enthusiastic and friendly. The work started with an explosion.

We flew to Freeman station of Mashhad-Tehran railway. The connection point with the Sarkhes-Mashhad railway in the future for the opening of the construction project of the Sarkhes-Mashhad railway, which is supposed to connect us to the Turkmenistan railway, which will connect Europe and China with the railway, which we signed at the Central Asia Summit.

Mr. Ata Charif, the vice president of Turkmenistan, also came. After the report of the Minister of Roads and Transport, the deputy of the IRGC and the contractor of the project, I spoke. The ceremony was done with explosions and speeches for the villagers who had gathered. On my return to Mashhad, in all the flight routes, I saw many small earthen dams to control surface water, related to the initiatives of Jihad and the people.

In the evening, I gave a lecture to the students of Mashhad. They were very cheerful and enthusiastic. They had welfare and education demands. At night, negotiations were held with the managers of Astan Quds to pay their demands from the government. They have given about four billion tomans of land. Efat and his companions came to my residence for dinner and to visit Imam Reza (a.s.). The sanctuary was deserted for washing.