According to Business Standard, the lowest production growth was registered in the Ninth Plan when an unprecedented slowdown in industrial growth had pulled down the demand for coal. Coal India’s production grew 5.1% to 379.4 million metric tons (mt) in 2007-08, the first year of the current Plan period. The output grew by 6.4% to 403.7 million mt in the second year and 6.8% to 431.3 million mt in the following year. Production remained flat in the fourth year (2010-11). For the current financial year, CIL has projected a production growth rate of 3.6% to 447 million mt taking the projected average annual growth rate during the five year period to 4.3%.
