State-run Coal India Limited (CIL) has set a production
target of 464 million tonnes (mt) for the next fiscal year.
“For the next financial year, our production target is
464 million tonnes. At the terminal year of the 12th Five Year Plan, that is
2016-17, the company has envisaged to produce 565.50 million tonnes in the
usual business scenario.
“However, if clearances for the new projects to be taken into account, it
can produce upto 615 million tonnes,” CIL acting chairperson and managing
director ( CMD) Zohra Chatterji said at a press conference here.
On the prime minister's direction to the CIL, the world's
largest coal producer, to make required fuel supplies to power utilities,
Chatterjee said the company's focus would be to increase production to fulfil
the mandate.
“If the gap (between demand for and supply of coal) was
too wide, then import was one of the ways to bridge the gap, but our outright
effects would be to expand production. We have coal reserves of 68 billion
tonnes and it's only a question of how fast we can mine it,” she
added.
Speaking on whether CIL would divert coal reserved for spot
sales (done through e-auctions) to meet the demand of the power sector,
Chatterji said that it will remain at the current levels as there were very few
takers when the company had gone for a similar move in October.
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