Two Coal India ltd (CIl) subsidiaries mainly – Sambalpur (Odisha) based Mahanadi Coalfields limited and the Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) based South Eastern Coalfields limited (SECl) are expected to play a pivotal role in CIl’s quest of attaining the one billion tonnes (BT) production target with 250 MTs and 240 MTs respectively, officials informed.
Notably, CIl, had unveiled its road map, of strategies to be adopted, to attain the one Billion Tonne (BT) coal production mark by 2019-20.
With the projected coal demand of the country hovering around 1,200 Million Tonnes (MTs) by 2019-20, at an envisaged growth rate of 7 per cent, CIl is expected to chip in one BT, of which 908 MTs is the expected contribution from the identified projects.
The process of identification of projects to share the balance quantity, to top up the one BT mark, is also underway.
The key issues that the coal miner is basically relying on are timely completion of three critical railway lines and timely land acquisition and green clearance.
CIl has assessed a tentative capital investment of Rs 57,000 crore for next five years to ramp-up its coal production to 908.1 MT from production level of 494.80 MT in 2014-15 as part of the road map for production of one BT coal by 2019-20.
Notably, CIl has recorded offtake of coal from its largest subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields ltd (SECl) at 124.34 million tonnes between April 2015 to February 2016.
This was against the target of 123.89 million tonnes (MT) - a growth of 11.1 per cent.
Notably, SECl is targetting total coal production of 250 million tonnes (MT) from its underground and open cast mines by 2019-20, officials stated.
Notably, SECl recorded coal production (provisional) of 12.10 million tonnes (MT) against target of 11.70 MT as on February 2016, Coal India ltd (CIl) informed the Bombay Stock Exchange in its filing.
The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in the country during December 2015 was Rs 20096 crore. The contribution of Coal was the highest at Rs 9132 crore (43%), the Central Government has informed.
Next in the order of importance were: Petroleum (crude) Rs 5598 crore, Natural gas (utilized) Rs 2187 crore, Iron ore Rs 1604 crore, limestone Rs 479 crore and lignite Rs 356 crore. These six minerals together contributed about 96% of the total value of mineral production in December 2015.
SECl would go for extended use of multi-utility vehicles for transport of materials by phasing out existing labour oriented haulages during the next five years from its underground mines, officials informed.
The Union Ministry of Coal has written to all the successful bidders and allottees of coal mines in Chhattisgarh to pay up the second and third instalment of the upfront amount as per the Coal Mines and Production Agreement (CMPDA).
A copy of the letter had also been forwarded to the Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary and Accountant General for necessary action, officials informed.
Through sustained programme of investment and greater thrust on application of modern technologies, it has been possible to raise the production of coal from a level of about 70 million tonnes at the time of nationalization of coal mines in early 1970's to 612.44 million tonnes (All India) in 2014-15, officials informed.