NEW DELHI: State-run Coal India Ltd on Thursday said it clocked highest ever production for December producing 58.02 million tonnes of coal,up 7.2% compared to 54.14 million tonnes in the same month a year ago.The increase in volume terms has been 3.89 million tonnes, an official statement said. December’s production witnessed 16% month-on-month growth compared to November 2019.It said two of the company's best producing companies South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd turned around in December 2019 with production growths of 11.3% and 10.1% respectively.Dipka mine of SECL, a big contributor to Coal India production, which was flooded on September 29, is back on the track producing 85,000 tonnes per day and in the near future will achieve over one lakh tonnes per day, the statement said.Coal supplies at 53.63 million tonnes registered a modest growth of around 2% during December 2019 compared to 52.61 million tonnes in the same period a year ago."The company regained production tempo from October 2019 onward notching a robust month-on-month growth of 28% followed by 27% month-on-month growth in November 2019. With production perking up in December we are pushing hard to take our output levels to higher scale in the remaining months of the fiscal” said an official of the company.At the closure of December 2019 total coal stock at pitheads of Coal India companies stood at a comfortable 25.3 million tonnes, ahead by 2.1 million tonnes than a year ago period. Stock at power plants stood at 31.63 million tonnes sufficient for 18 days’ consumption. The total coal available in the system is close to 57 million tonnes.