MCL faces daunting task to meet coal target

Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), faces an uphill task of meeting the coal output target for 2009-10.

The company which has been given a coal output target of 110.7 million tonnes by CIL for the current fiscal has to produce about 30 million tonnes of coal in February and March this year to meet the target. According to MCL sources, the company has recorded a production of about 80 million tonnes from its Talcher and Ib valley coalfields by the end of January 2010 as against the target of 87.51 million tonnes.

It may be noted that the Ib valley coalfields comprising Ib valley and Basundhara coalfields has almost achieved the coal production target of 34.47 million tonnes. On the other hand, the Talcher Coalfields produced 45.92 million tonnes by the end of January 2010, falling short of the targeted 53 million tonnes.