By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 6, 2016 : Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary entity of Coal India Limited (CIL), has set a target of 167 million tones (mt) in 2016-17. In 2015-16, the central public unit had also emerging as the number one coal producer in the country by producing a record 137.9 million tonnes (mt) of coal.

“MCL has produced 137.90 mt coal in 2015-16 against 121.38 mt produced last financial year registering a growth of 13.61 per cent. We have set a target of producing 167 mt in 2016-17,” MCL chairman and managing director A.K. Jha said on Wednesday.

The PSU has contributed 39 per cent to the growth of Coal India Limited (CIL), but both MCL and CIL have missed the coal production target. CIL produced 536.5 mt against the target of 550 mt and MCL went up to 137.9 mt against the target of 150 tonnes.

“MCL could not meet the target due to delay in getting clearance for certain coal projects and other law and order problems,” said Mr Jha. He added that a provisional sum of Rs 9,974.49 crore would go to the exchequer that includes Rs 2,585 crore to the Odisha government and Rs7,388 crore to Union government following the production growth.

With MCL setting a target to achieve 250 mt by 2020, as a part of CIL’s one billion tonne target, the MCL CMD said the company is going on a big way with installation of infrastructure including state of the art machinery and better transportation facilities to achieve the target.