MCL has potential to achieve targets: Coal India Chairman

Sambalpur: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) is steadily building up First Mile Connectivity (FMC) infrastructure in Odisha with a total CapEx of Rs 3,600 crore for rapid and pollution-free coal loading transportation, which would enable the company to increase production and help Coal India achieve one billion tonne by 2024.

Pramod Agrawal, Chairman, Coal India Limited, today reviewed coal transportation operations at Sardega railway Sidings and laid the foundation stone of a 20 MTPA Coal Handling Plant and Rapid Loading System (RLS) for Mahalaxmi Area in district Sundergarh.

PK Sinha, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, OP Singh, Director (Technical/Operations), Keshav Rao, Director (Personnel) and Mr Baban Singh, Director (Technical/Projects & Planning) were among trade union representatives and senior officers present on the occasion.

This 20 MTPA FMC project at Sardega would be set-up with a capital expenditure of Rs 311 crore. Yesterday, the Chairman had laid the foundation stone of Rs 285.05 crore FMC project Lajkura SILO at Ib Valley Area.

The Chairman inspected mining operations at Kulda opencast and Garjanbahal opencast projects under Basundhara Area. He also interacted with the field teams and rewarded the best performers in the presence of the CMD & Directors.

The Chairman also visited Chattenpali village to review the development of R&R site and MCL DAV Public School under Basundhara Area.

Earlier, at a performance review meeting with senior officers, Agrawal appreciated MCL for keeping up the coal production and despatch to power plants during the stressing times of COVID19 pandemic.

MCL, which contributes about 25 per cent to the total coal production by Coal India, has a production and despatch target of 163 million tonne and 182 million tonnes respectively.