Bengaluru, Jan 19 (IANS): The Karnataka High Court has issued notice to the Central government over the issue of privatisation of public sector company Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) located in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The notice has also been served to BEML.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi on Tuesday issued notices after taking up the petition filed by BEML Employees Association General Secretary N. Rudraiah questioning the privatisation.

The senior counsel for the petitioner Prof. N. Ravi Varma Kumar explained that the decision of the Central government to privatise one of its major defence sector industry is not tenable.

In spite of this, the process of privatisation has begun. The process of evaluation of interested bidders had been going on. A memorandum in this regard has been submitted to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, but in vain, he informed the court.

Since it is a defence sector industry owned by the Central government, it should not be privatised. The court should issue an interim stay on the privatisation process. Otherwise, the court should at least issue an order stating that any decision made regarding privatisation of BEML should be subject to the final order of the court, the counsel requested.

Responding to the demands of the counsel for the petitioner, the bench said that let the notices be issued to the parties. Once they clear their stands before the court, the issue of an interim stay could be taken up.

The court has adjourned the matter to February 10.