BHUBANESWAR: Coal India Limited is committed to reduce the gap in demand and supply of coal in the country, said CIL Chairman Anil Kumar Jha.
Talking to media persons on the sidelines of a stakeholders consultation here on Friday, Jha said there is a gap of 235 million tonnes (MT) of coal, including 185 MT of coking coal, which is met by import from various countries.
“India consumed 965 MT of coal last year against the production of 607 MT. The production target was set at 610 MT. We have set a target of 660 MT this year. Though we are running behind by 17 MT of the first six months target, we are hopeful of achieving the annual target by March-end,” he said.
Coal India is the largest coal-producing company in the world and it produces around 83 per cent of the country’s entire coal output. While an agreement has been signed for coal mining projects in Russia’s Far East, Coal India is exploring acquisitions of mine in countries like Australia to meet the growing coal demand.
“Despite having huge stocks we fail to meet our requirement because we face challenges in exploration. A major challenge is the acquisition of land for rehabilitation of affected families besides the forest and environmental clearances. Production can be enhanced if the two issues are properly addressed,” Jha said.