Industry chamber FICCI on Wednesday called for the opening up of the coal sector and the breaking up of state-owned Coal India into several independent units.

''Coal sector should become more competitive and CIL should be broken up into several units,'' R.V. Kanoria, president, FICCI, said after its national executive committee meeting here in the city.

''A graduated and controlled break up of CIL will create competition,'' he added.

According to Kanoria, the government should consider introducing management contracts in the coal sector.