CIL lowers production target as late clearances delay projects

State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) has revised its production target to 486 million tonnes (mt) from 520 mt by 2012 as delay in getting environment and forest clearances for some of its projects have affected production, company chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya has said.

"In the mid-term appraisal, the company's production target has been revised to 486 mt from 520 mt by 2012," he said.

As many as 17 projects, both big and small involving production of 101 mt, were delayed due to long wait in getting clearances from the environment and forest ministry, Bhattacharyya told reporters here last night after the press conference to announce the Asian Mining Congress to be held here from January 22.

Bhattacharyya said if CIL received environment and forest clearance for those projects now, the company would still be able to produce 47 mt of coal in the remaining two years.

He said normally, it should take 300 days for a project to get clearance, but it took about five years to receive such clearances.

There should be an integrated approach for both forest and environment ministries to give clearance and a proper policy should be formulated for this purpose.