Prasad, who was on his maiden visit to MCL after assuming charge as Chairman, toured Ib Valley Coalfields in Jharsuguda district on Sunday and chaired a review meeting of the company at the headquarters in the evening.

“MCL has performed exceptionally well in the past couple of years. Not only Coal India, but the entire country has high hopes on MCL,” he said, asserting that the leading subsidiary would successfully achieve its target of 204 MT production for the current fiscal.

JK Bohra, Director (Technical/Operations), AK Behura, Director (Finance) and AS Bapat, Director (Technical/Projects & Planning) were among senior officers present at the review meeting, while Area General Managers from Ib Valley coalfields and Talcher coalfields joined through video-conference.

Prasad, who inspected coal mining and despatch operations as well as upcoming infrastructure projects in Ib Valley coalfields, emphasised on diversification initiatives like setting up of more solar power plants and achieving net-zero emission target.

Stressing on all out efforts to ensure that the country gets adequate quantity of coal, the Chairman advised MCL to work on feasibility of underground projects and making them viable sources of energy.

Earlier, Prasad chaired a meeting of the corporate Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) of MCL and visited an upcoming Ib Valley Coal washery in Lakhanpur area, the largest non-coking coal washery of 10 MTPA in Coal India.

He also inspected the under-construction Y-curve railway siding, which will help increase coal despatch from Samaleswari OCP of Ib Valley area.