New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Two new coal mines have started production in January, pushing up the number of mining blocks that have started production to 53, the government said on Thursday.

Of the 53 mines, 33 are for captive power consumption, 12 for captive consumption of the non-regulated sector, and eight for commercial sale of coal.

Also Read | CUET PG 2024 Exam: Registration Date for Common University Entrance Test Examination Extended Till February 7, Apply Online at pgcuet.samarth.ac.in.

"Two new coal mines with a cumulative PRC (Peak Rated Capacity) of 7.5 Million Tonnes (MT) have started production in January 2024," the coal ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry of Coal is taking all necessary steps to operationalise coal blocks within timelines to further increase production, and dispatch, to achieve the goal of self-reliance and meet the increasing energy demand of the country, it said.

Also Read | Previous Year’s Budget Highlights: From Income Tax Relief to National Digital Library, Major Talking Points From Last Year’s Budget That You Should Know.

In another statement, the coal ministry announced the launch of C-CARES, a web portal of CMPFO (Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation).

C-CARES is developed and designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), an R&D organisation under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated three initiatives as Corporate Social Responsibility of Coal India Ltd (CIL) in collaboration with Educational Consultants Ltd (EDCIL), National Skill Development Corporation and TATA STRIVE, the coal ministry said in a separate statement.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)