Core Sector Growth Slips To 4.3pc In July - Sep 11, 2008

Poor performance in the output of crude oil and finished steel during July cut down the growth of index for infrastructure industries for the month to 4.3 per cent as against 7.2 per cent in July 2007. Crude oil output registered a negative growth of (-) 3 per cent in July as against 0.9 per cent growth in the same month last year. Similarly, ended steel production grew by only 1.9 per cent compared with 10.8 per cent last year. Growth in petroleum refinery production increased by 11.8 per cent in July this year compared with 4.7 per cent in the same month last year while coal output increased by 5.5 per cent as against 1.1 per cent in the same month last year. Electricity generation during the month increased by 4.5 per cent compared with 7.5 per cent in July last year and the growth in cement output also slowed down to 8.8 per cent as against 9.4 per cent in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal