State-run, Coal India Limited (CIL) has said that it has exceeded its target for coal production for the month of April, 2013.

CIL was able to produce 35.75 million tonnes (MT) during the month compared to a production target of 35.15 MT set by the coal ministry. However, it said that the total off-take was at 39.8 MT against the target of 40.03 MT.

The union coal ministry has set a production target of 482 MT and off-take target of 492 MT for the company during the current financial year. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between CMD S Narsing Rao and Coal Secretary S K Srivastava for the yearly targets for CIL.

During the previous financial year, CIL had achieved a total production of 452.5 MT, which was lower than the target of 464 MT for the year. The company had earlier targeted an output of 464 mt, which was described as ambitious by the management give its inability to expand mines. The company had produced only 436 mt of the black fuel in the previous year compared to a target of 452 mt.

According to the figures available, the gap between demand and supply for coal in the country was 161.5 million tonne (MT) during the previous fiscal year and it is estimated to increase to 200 MT in 2016-17. CIL might be planning to increase its full-year production target after it managed to achieve first-quarter production target of 102.46 million tonnes (mt).