The Hindu Business Line : Core industries register lower growth of 5.4 pc

EVEN as the industry as a whole is riding a boom phase, the country's core infrastructure sectors are seemingly lagging behind. The official index of six infrastructure industries have registered a growth of just 5.4 per cent during the fiscal just ended, compared with 5.6 per cent in 2002-03.

During 2003-04, production of coal, at 354.7 million tonnes (mt), was 5.1 per cent higher than the preceding year's 337.4 mt, which, in turn, corresponded to a 4.6 per cent growth rate. Similarly, electricity generation of 558.134 billion units during 2003-04 was only 5 per cent higher than the 531.594 billion units produced in 2002-04, which recorded a 3.2 per cent growth.

The growth was even lower, at 1 per cent, for crude petroleum, with production in 2003-04 amounting to 33.384 mt, against 33.044 mt in the previous year, which saw an increase of 3.2 per cent.

On the other hand, petroleum refining, cement and steel have performed better. Output of refined petro-products rose by 8.2 per cent in 2003-04 (from 104.68 mt to 113.241 mt), against a growth of 4.9 per cent during the year before. The country produced 123.44 mt of cement in 2003-04, a rise of 6.1 per cent over 116.348 mt in 2002-03, which witnessed a growth of 8.8 per cent.

Production of finished steel was up by 6.9 per cent during 2003-04 (from 34.528 mt to 36.925 mt), compared to a growth rate of 10.1 per cent for the previous fiscal.