Date:30/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/30/stories/2008123053720400.htm

New Delhi

BEML Ltd. unit to come up at Kanjikode

Special Correspondent

A.K. Antony

NEW DELHI: The Centre has decided to set up a unit of BEML Ltd., formerly Bharat Earth Movers Ltd., in the Kanjikode area of Palakkad district in Kerala.

Disclosing this here on Monday, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan would lay the foundations of the project on January 18.

Mr. Antony said the unit of the Bangalore-based ‘mini-ratna’ public sector undertaking would help to generate 1,500 jobs over three years. In the first year, 500 jobs would be generated.

The project would be commissioned in two phases. For the first phase, the State government had agreed to release 160 hectares on lease. The expenditure estimated for the first phase was Rs.255 crore. For the second phase, the State government had committed itself to providing Rs.600 crore, after which there would be diversification of work at the unit.

In the first phase, the unit would manufacture defence wagons, pontoon mainstream bridges, Sarwatra bridges and other dry bridges, aluminium wagons, stainless steel wagons and railway parts for metro and other trains.

About the Naval Academy, Ezhimala, the Minister said it would be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 8. The academy, he added, will be Asia’s biggest naval training hub and would facilitate joint exercises.

Corrections and Clarifications

A report "BEML Ltd. unit to come up at Kanjikode" (Kerala, December 30, 2008) said that the Centre had decided to set up a unit of BEML Ltd., formerly Bharat Earth Movers Ltd., in the Kanjikode area of Palakkad district in Kerala. A reader said that BEML is the acronym of Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. and not a new name. A news report in Business Line (October 7, 2007) says "Bharat Earth Movers Ltd is now BEML Ltd. The 45-year-old defence PSU has formally adopted its new name with effect from this month .. "