MCL posts dip in growth in 2010-11

Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has recorded a negative growth of 3.65 per cent in 2010-11. This is for the first time since the inception of the coal company in 1992 that MCL, a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd (CIL), has clocked negative growth.

MCL, which was tipped to be the number one subsidiary of CIL in terms of coal output, has ended 2010-11 with a production of 100.28 million tonnes (mt), falling short of the targeted figure of 117 mt, said a company source. In 2009-10, MCL's coal output stood at 104.08 million tonnes.

The negative growth recorded by MCL is a huge setback for the company which has been posting a year-on-year growth of 10 per cent since 1992.

The coal offtake, however, registered a growth of about four per cent at 102.4 mt in 2010-11 as against 98.15 mt in 2009-10.

MCL authorities attributed the drastic fall in production to the recurrent strikes by the villagers and lack of law and order in Talcher Coalfields. However, workers held that managerial deficiencies are responsible for the setback in production.

The negative growth of MCL was primarily because of Talcher Coalfields which accounts for nearly 60 per cent of its coal output.

The Talcher Coalfields, consisting of seven open cast coal mines, produced 52.24 mt as against the target of 75.2 mt while the previous year’s production was 59.74 mt.

The coalfield could manage to achieve only 69 per cent of the target, recording a negative growth of 12.9 per cent.

Among the four open cast areas, the Hingula area having two mines, performed the worst producing only 12.43 mt as against the target of 17.5 mt.

Even the Jagannath area clocked a negative growth of 5.3 per cent and managed to achieve 82 per cent of the targeted coal output in 2010-11.

The Lingaraj area, where agitations are rare, recorded a coal output of 11.85 mt, marginally falling short of the target of 13 mt.