New Delhi, Oct 23 : The coal ministry has worked out strategy for ensuring normal production of coal during festival season by way of offering higher wages to the contractual workers during the season. This has resulted in 21 lakh tonnes coal production by Coal India Limited (CIL) on Maha Ashtami i.e. equal to any normal day, official sources said. The ministry has also planned to ensure 40 million tonnes of closing stock at pithead plants of thermal power and more than 75 million tonnes at mine end by March 31, 2024. As per the latest figures, during current financial year till October 21, coal production in the country showed a growth of 12.73 per cent compared to the same period during last year. The percentage of production growth of CIL was 11.80 per cent, 8.45 per cent in Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) and that of captive and commercial mines was 20.50 per cent. As on October 21, total coal stock stood at 71.35 million tonne (including coal at mine pithead, transit and thermal power plants) as against total stock of 60.44 million tonnes during the corresponding period of last year, which was 18.05 per cent higher. It is to be further noted that during this period, the import of coal was 13.5 million tonnes as against 20.8 million tonnes during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 35 per cent in coal for blending purposes. After long rain spell during early October in coal producing states, production has picked up during last 10 days, sources said further. Total production from all sources during the last 10 days was over 26.57 lakh tonnes per day, exceptionally higher. During the last one week, the trend of coal stocks at thermal power plant end has been reversed. Now the daily supply of coal is more than the average daily consumption and there is a trend of coal stock accretion, they added. /IANS