Mysuru: Opposing the Government’s move to privatise public sector giant BEML (Bharath Earth Movers Ltd.), the BEML employees despite staging several protests for months and also staging dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Aug. 9 and 10, over 500 employees of BEML, under the banner of BEML Employees Association, Mysuru, will stage a dharna from 6.30 pm today till 6 am tomorrow in front of Town Hall here.

The Union Government recently approved the disinvestment move to reduce its shareholding from 54.03% by 26% in BEML, effectively reducing its stake in the Public Sector Unit to 28.03%, which the BEML Employees’ Association had called the move as a step towards privatisation of the unit.

Association President N.K. Devadas, speaking to SOM this morning, said that during the two-day stir at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi recently, Kolar MP K.H. Muniyappa, Mandya MP C.S. Puttaraju, Kerala MP M.B. Rajesh, Kollam MP Premachandran, West Bengal MP Tapan Sen and other elected representatives met them in New Delhi during the stir and extended their support and co-operation to them.

He said that Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha and Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan met them and took them to Union Minister Ananthkumar, who assured of supporting them in their cause.

Devadas said that about 500-600 BEML employees including contract workers and officers would stage an overnight    protest today.