THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Administrative Reforms Commission Chairman V.S. Achuthanandan on Monday urged the centre to withdraw its decision to sell off 26 per cent shares of existing 54 per cent of Bharat Earth Moves Ltd (BEML). The veteran leader said that PSU has been serving admirably for the past seven decades and contributing significantly to the defence sector and railways. BEML has manufactured more than 7,000 trucks for Army, more than 20,000 coaches for railways and over 1,000 metro coaches, he said.
According to him during the past two decades, BEML has made profits worth Rs 2,321 crores. More than 15,000 workers are engaged in the company and now their jobs are at stake. It is strange that the government was selling off an establishment to corporate by putting national security at risk. It is being pointed out that the Centre's decision was aimed at helping Reliance Defence Park which is coming up in Maharashtra.
Achuthanandan recollected that it was during his tenure in 2010 the LDF Government had applied pressure on the UPA Government to get BEML manufacturing unit at Kanjikode in Palakkad district in a record time. Since the inauguration of the Palakkad manufacturing unit has supplied over 150 rail coach shells-bogie frames and 500 Tatra Trucks for Army. Besides it is also providing ground support vehicles for guided missile programme , heavy, medium and light recovery vehicles , 50T trailer for tank transportation and railway coaches and wagons.
