Coal India suffers avg daily production hit of 56 pc during three-day strike

State-owned Coal India suffered an average daily production hit of 56 per cent during the three-day strike by workers against the government's move to open the sector to private players, an official said.

A union leader of Coal India had earlier claimed that there was a substantial hit in coal output during the strike days.

The coal workers were on strike from Thursday to Saturday in protest against the government's move to open the coal sector for commercial mining.

The average daily production by the PSU on the three days was 5,73,000 tonnes, which is 44 per cent of the last 10 days' average production (from June 22 to July 1) of 12,96,900 tonnes, the official said.

The coal ministry official said production could take place even on strike days as Coal India employs around one lakh contract workers.

Of the three days of strike, the maximum output was recorded on Saturday, the official said.

Coal produced by CIL on Saturday stood at 6,83,000 tonnes, which was 53 per cent of the last 10 days' average production of 12,96,900 tonnes.

On Friday, the Maharatna firm produced 5,55,000 tonnes of coal (43 per cent of last 10 days' average production).

On the first day of the strike on Thursday, output was 4,81,000 tonnes or 37 per cent of the last 10 days' average production.

Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.

The PSU is eyeing one billion tonnes of production by 2023-24.