Infrastructure growth slips to 5.4% in FY04

The infrastructure growth slowed down marginally to 5.4 per cent last fiscal compared to 5.6 per cent in 2002-03, despite the government's thrust on developmental schemes last year.

The core sector, which was sluggish in the first seven months of last fiscal picked up since November and clocked 7.1 per cent growth in March 2004 compared to 4 per cent a year ago.

According to figures released by the government, the petroleum refinery sector logged the highest 8.2 per cent growth last fiscal while crude petroleum output grew by merely 1 per cent in 2003-04.

Steel production was up by 6.9 per cent while cement output was up by 6.1 per cent last fiscal.

Coal logged 5.1 per cent while electricity generation was higher by 5 per cent in 2003-04.