MCL falls behind coal output target

Mahanadi Coalfield Limited (MCL), the flagship company of Coal India (CIL), has fallen behind the target in coal production and dispatch in the first seven months of the current fiscal though its performance during this period is a notch better than the achievement of the same period in the last fiscal.

The annual output target of the coal company for the year 2008-09 has been revised by the Union coal ministry from initial 99 million tonne (MT) to 104 MT. This represented more than ten per cent growth in production for the company, which has maintained its growth around that level since its inception in 1992, according to official source.

Against a target of 54.52 MT by the end of October, the coal company has produced 45.16 MT compared to 43.26 MT during the same period in the last year, representing a growth of 4.31 per cent growth.

Both the Talcher coalfield and IB valley coalfield lagged behind the target while smaller blocks like Basundhara and Garjan Bahal achieved a production of 4.07 MT against the target of 4.6MT.

The coal output by Talcher coalfield was 26.98 MT against the target of 35.16 MT while at IB valley the output was at 14.11MT against the target of 17.41 MT.

In the field of the coal dispatch, the company also lagged behind the target of 56.03 MT while recording an off take of 49.67 MT in the first seventh month of the current fiscal. During the same period in the last year, the off take was 46.70 MT.

But in over burden (OB) removal work, the performance of the MCL was negative. Against the target of 38.55 million cubic meters and the last year’s record of 30.06 million cubic meters, the OB removal was 26.83 million cubic meters.

Similarly, 5512 wagons were loaded against the target of 6452 by October, this year while in the corresponding period of last year, 5376 wagons were loaded for dispatch of coal.

Despite the setback in achieving in coal output for various extraneous factors beyond the control of the MCL authorities, profit figure showed an increase over the target of Rs 1507 .63 crore by the end of October. The company made a profit of Rs 1600.9 crore against the corresponding figure of Rs 1232 crore in the last year, according to the official sources.

Commenting on the performances of the company the chairman-cum – managing director, Sriramji Upadhaya exuded hope to reach the target in the remaining months of the year saying that in the post monsoon period the production usually picks up.

He said, the factors which restrained the operation of the company were beyond the control of the MCL and cited private drivers’ strikes, huge rainfall and frequent obstruction at Talcher mines as the reasons that stood in the way of achieving better output. As regards to the OB works, the CMD said, the company is in process of outsourcing the OB works in five open cast mines to boost up OB removal works.