No plan to shut Kolar BEML unit: Industries Minister Nirani

NT Correspondent

Dismissing rumors on the likely closure of Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) in Kolar, Large & Medium Scale Industries Minister Murgesh Nirani said the factory was under the control of the Union Government and it would not be shut at any cost. Replying to Govindaraju (JD-S) in the L e g i s l a t i v e C o u n c i l o n Tuesday, the minister said the factory has 15,000 acres of land of which the khata had been made for 12,500 acres. The remaining land would be given to the state government for industrial promotion.

The issue would be discussed with the Union mines and geology minister during his visit to Delhi on March 10 and a suitable decision would be taken. The Central Economic Affairs Committee meeting has decided to run the Kolar BEML factory without closing it.

Since the factory comes under the Government of India, the state government has to adhere to whatever decision taken by the Centre, the minister said. He declined to answer a question on whether the factory would be privatized or not and asserted that the status quo would be maintained.

Leader of the Opposit i o n B . K . Hariprasad who intervened in the discussion, said since BJP was in power at the Centre, the minister must ensure that the Kolar BEML unit is not privatised as privatization is not the panacea for all problems.

If the government of India cannot run the factory, then the state government must volunteer to maintain it. This message must be conveyed to the Centre, he added. Nirani agreed to the suggestion and promised to take up the matter with the Union minister concerned.