New Delhi: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a leading subsidiary of Coal India Limited, commemorated Miners Day on May 1 with grand celebrations at its Lakhanpur Area in Jharsuguda district, paying rich tributes to coal miners whose efforts continue to drive India's energy security and economic development.
The event saw the participation of MCL’s top leadership, including Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) Uday Anant Kaole, Director (HR) Keshav Rao, Director (Technical/Operations) JK Borah, Director (Finance) AK Behura, and Chief Vigilance Officer PK Patel. Members of the Joint Consultative Committee (Apex) were also present, underscoring the inclusive nature of the celebrations.
Addressing the gathering, Kaole lauded Team MCL for its record-breaking performance in FY 2024–25 across coal production, despatch, and overburden (OB) removal. “With your unwavering dedication, MCL has emerged as the leading coal producer in the country. We are proud to be the only company to cross the 200 million tonne milestone in both coal production and despatch,” he said, attributing the success to the relentless hard work of coal miners.
He also acknowledged the critical role of Indian Railways in facilitating the transportation of 210 million tonnes of coal during the year—a 15 percent increase over the previous year. “This achievement would not have been possible without the excellent coordination and support from the Railways,” he remarked.
Highlighting a shift in operational focus, Kaole stated, “For the first time, we at MCL are regulating coal production and focusing on quality and efficient despatch to consumers, as we alone have a coal stock of 36 million tonnes.”
As part of its future roadmap, MCL is actively pursuing diversification projects in solar and wind energy, ammonium nitrate production, and thermal power generation. The CMD emphasized that these initiatives are in line with evolving national energy requirements.
Reaffirming MCL’s commitment to social responsibility, Shri Kaole noted the company’s position as the largest CSR contributor in Odisha, with continued efforts towards developing sustainable social infrastructure for local communities.
The Miners Day event also featured an awards ceremony recognizing excellence across MCL operations. The Integrated Lilari-Belpahar-Lakhanpur (LBL) Opencast Project from Lakhanpur Area was adjudged the Best Performing Opencast Project, while the Hirakud-Bundia underground mines from Orient Area received the award for Best Performing Underground Project. Lakhanpur Area was conferred with the prestigious Malpuri Trophy for Best Overall Area Performance.
In total, 87 awards were presented to employees and contract workers across various categories, acknowledging outstanding contributions during the financial year 2024–25.
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