Coal India (CIL), the Maharatna coal mining monolith had unveiled its roadmap, of strategies to be adopted, to attain the 1 billion tonne (BT) coal production mark by 2019-20. With the projected coal demand of the country hovering around 1,200 million tonnes (MTs) by 2019-20, at an envisaged growth rate of 7%, CIL is expected to chip in 1 BT, of which, 908 MTs is the expected contribution from the identified projects.

This was stated by S Bhattacharya, CMD , Coal India (CIL) while briefing the media here today. He further added that the process of identification of projects to share the balance quantity, to top up the 1 BT mark, is also underway.

The two CIL subsidiaries Sambalpur based Mahanadi Coalfields and the Bilaspur based South Eastern Coalfields are expected to play a pivotal role in CIL's quest of attaining the 1 BT production with 250 MTs and 240 MTs respectively , Bhattacharya added. Earlier, Anil Swarup, coal secretary said that coal ministry is committed to increase coal production in the country.