Coal India loses 2.1% of annual output due to strikes at Talcher coalfields

Coal India loses 2.1% of annual output due to strikes at Talcher coalfields

New Delhi: Coal India Ltd has lost 13 million tonnes, or 2.1%, of its annual output this financial year, due to strikes at Talcher coalfields, one of India's biggest, a spokesman for the company's unit said on Wednesday.

"Owing to an unfavorable socio-political situation and frequent stoppages, Talcher coalfields alone has registered a loss of 13 million tonne in coal production during the current financial year," Dikken Mehra, a spokesman for Coal India unit Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) said.

Production at the coalfields in Talcher, which were rocked by strikes over mine safety, was on Wednesday stopped by villagers demanding employment, Mehra said.