July 28, 2010: The railways' freight loading target for the first quarter of 2010-11 has fallen short by eight million tons (mt), as repeated disruptions in Naxal-infested areas have affected the transportation of major commodities such as coal and iron ore. The two commodities comprise 60% of the targeted freight. Indian Railways carried 218 mt freight in the April-June period as against the target of 226 mt. "Coal and iron ore are the two key bulk commodities transported via railways. Repeated disruptions in the Naxal-hit areas have affected the traffic of these commodities considerably. Our target could not be met in the first quarter," a senior official at the ministry said. The railways moved around 100 mt coal during the first quarter, against the targeted 104 mt, though it was higher than 96.73 mt during the same period last year. The iron ore movement was 28.49 mt, recording a shortfall of 4.6 mt. During the corresponding period last year, the figure was 30.44 mt. Carriage of coal is projected to contribute over 45% towards the total freight tonnage target of 944 mt this financial year, while movement of iron ore would account for another 15%. Source: Business Standard