Key sectors clock 7.1% growth in Aug

 
Cumulatively the six core infrastructure sector comprising crude oil, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and steel — posted a growth rate of 4.8 per cent during the first five months of the current fiscal (April to August) 2009-10 as against 3.3 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Coal production grew by 12.4 per cent during April-August 2009-10 compared to an increase of 7.3 per cent during the corresponding  period of 2008-09. Cement production registered an impressive growth of 13.5 per cent during April-August 2009-10 compared to an increase of 5 per cent during the same period of previous fiscal. However, finished steel production grew by a low 2.6 per cent during April-August 2009-10 compared to an increase of 3.5 per cent during the same period of 2008-09. The real push to growth rate of core industries came from electricity  generation sector, which grew by 6.4 per cent during April-August 2009-10 compared to 2.2 per cent in the same period of 2008-09.

In the crude and petroleum refinery product segments the growth rate during April-August continued to remain in the negative zone.