Central Coalfields registers positive growth in OBR

Team News Riveting

Ranchi, April 1

Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), the Jharkhand based subsidiary of Coal India Limited, had extracted 103.62 million cubic metres of OverBurden Removal (OBR) posting a nominal growth of 0.3 per cent in the fiscal 2020-21.

OBR is an important performance parameter that exposes the overlying material making future coal production easier.  

Despite COVID-19 slowdown, CCL could produce 62.6 Million Tonnes (MT) of coal during the just concluded fiscal while its off-take was 65.4 MT.  The demand was sluggish due to pandemic induced lockdown.

However, on the positive side, 5 open-cast mines of the company Magadh, Amrapali, Ashoka and KD Hesalong recorded highest growth varying between 13 and 109 per cent during 2020-21.

CCL undertook various consumer friendly initiatives to ramp up its off-take during pandemic clampdown which include keeping reserve price for e-auction of coal at par with notified price for two quarters ending September’20. Allowing conversion from road mode to rail mode in coal transportation was another major step which helped the company attain 12% rise in rail despatches.  

A record high of 80 rakes were loaded on 26th March, 2021 which is the highest for any single day since inception. In a step towards environmentally friendly seamless mechanized transportation of coal, CCL awarded contracts for execution of 3 First Mile Connectivity projects after receiving the necessary green clearances.  FMC refers to transport of coal from pitheads to despatch points.  

CCL contributed Rs 26 Crores towards Prime Minister Cares Fund and Jharkhand State Disaster Management Fund besides Rs 1.25 Crores contribution to 8 district administrations where the company’s operations are located. The Central hospitals of the company Gandhi Nagar and Ramgarh treated about 1400 covid patients with a 99 per cent recovery rate during the pandemic rage.

Currently about 8000 people have been administered Covid vaccine through the 9 hospitals of the company. The company likewise distributed thousands of food packets, dry ration, water bottles to migrant laborers, villagers etc. during Covid period.

The company achieved a Capex of Rs 1700 crore, which was 125 per cent of its target and paid Rs 550 crore as advance for land acquisition to Jharkhand Government.

CCL has been a pioneer of various CSR projects and in the FY 2020-21 the company’s CSR expenditure was higher than the target.

Chairman-cum-Managing Director of CCL P M Prasad congratulated the entire workforce of the company for its performance despite COVID challenges. He said that the company under the leadership of Hon’ble Coal Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi and Hon’ble coal secretary Sri Anil Kumar Jain, Coal India Chairman Sri Pramod Agarwal is committed to fulfil Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”. He also thanked the Jharkhand Government and his team for supporting the company that yielded positive growth.

He expressed that the company is committed to meet the coal requirements of its customers and elevate the production commensurate with the demand in future with support from Jharkhand Govt, representative of trade unions, villagers and other stakeholders.

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