Power generation
The overall power generation too did not reach the targeted figure, falling short marginally.

The IR had set itself a target of 578.11 million tonne (mt) but recorded 571.35 mt during the period.

Although it exceeded the performance of the period in question in 2006 (527.35 mt) by 8.2 per cent, the growth rate decreased compared to the 2006 rate of 9.7 per cent.

The IR carried a total of 728.41 mt for the entire fiscal of 2006-07. According to the latest performance report prepared by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, IR performed well in passenger booking.

Riding on bookings
Around 4990 million passengers booked during April-December 2007, 5.6 per cent higher than those reserved during the corresponding period of 2006. During April-December 2007, the railway behemoth earned Rs 49,834 crore, which was over 11 per cent higher than the Rs 44,769 crore earned during the same period in the previous fiscal.

The report indicated a satisfactory performance of cargo handling at ports and airports as the 2006 figures were surpassed.

 Cargo handled at major ports for the first eight months of 2007 was 12.5 per cent higher than that of the previous year — 378.79 mt compared to 336.71 mt. The actuals of 2006-07 was 463.84 mt.

The overall power generation during April-December 2007 at 525.91 billion units was 0.3 per cent lower than the target set for the period but recorded 6.6 per cent growth over the same period of 2006.

With the growth rate of 6.7 per cent of 2007 in export cargo, “the growth rate has improved compared to the negative growth of 1.3 per cent during April-December 2006,” the ministry report stated.

The number of passengers at international airports went up from 1.37 crore to 1.54 crore (growth of 12.7 per cent) during this period while the figure was 2.94 crore and 3.65 crore at domestic airports (24.1 per cent).