Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today launched BEML's third Line Ultra Modern Metro Manufacturing Facility to enhance the production of metro cars for the forthcoming metro projects in India. Earlier in the morning, he inaugurated the indigenously designed and developed biggest ever diesel excavator BE1800D and crawler dozer BD475-1 and T-72 hull, meant for fitting into tanks, at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) unit of Bharath Earth Movers Limited. Later, a number of organisations and local leaders including Kolar MP Muniyappa submitted memoranda against disinvestment of BEML. Speaking to reporters, Muniyappa said he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon to convince him against it. BEML had forayed into manufacturing and supply of hi-tech metro cars during 2002 and as a leading rolling stock supplier has so far supplied over 1,000 metro cars to Delhi, Bengaluru and Jaipur Metro Corporations. On March 27, BEML had secured a Rs 1,421-crore contract from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) for supply of metro cars. The contract is scheduled to be completed by December, 2018.
