New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) Coal production from the country’s captive and commercial mines shot up by a robust 16.4 per cent to 46.01 million tonnes during the first quarter (April-June) of the financial year 2025–26 from 39.53 million tonnes in the same quarter of the previous year, according to official figures released on Wednesday.

The dispatches of coal from these mines rose by 13 per cent to 51.63 million tonnes in the April-June quarter of the current financial year compared to 45.68 million tonnes in the same period of the previous year.

The quarterly increase in production and dispatches of coal for the third year in a row reflects improved efficiency and better utilisation of mining capacity.

During June, coal production has been recorded at 15.57 million tonnes, and dispatches at 17.31 million tonnes.

In other developments during June, which are expected to boost the production of coal further, mine opening permission was granted for Utkal A Mine, having a peak rated capacity of 25 million tonnes. Vesting orders were also issued for three coal blocks, raising the total number of coal blocks allocated by the Ministry of Coal to more than 200, the statement said.

The increase in coal production ensures a reliable supply of coal to key industries such as power generation, steel manufacturing, and cement production, thereby reinforcing the backbone of India’s industrial infrastructure, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Nominated Authority of the Coal Ministry, last month, opened the bids for the 12th round of commercial coal blocks’ auction, in which as many as 41 bids have been received online as well as in physical form for 11 coal blocks.

The response to the auction is considered to be good, as a total of 27 companies have submitted their bids in the auction process.

More than 10 new companies have participated for the first time under the commercial coal block auction, which shows the growing interest of private firms towards the policy.

The bids will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee, and Technically Qualified Bidders will be shortlisted for participation in the electronic auction, to be conducted on the MSTC portal.

These mines are projected to generate an annual revenue of Rs 3,330 crore (excluding the partially explored mines) and attract a capital investment of approximately Rs 2,319 crore. Additionally, these mines are expected to create 20,902 employment opportunities, significantly contributing to economic development in coal-bearing regions, according to an official statement.

–IANS

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