Core sector growth slackens to 7.2 per cent in February

Mumbai: Infrastructure growth in the country declined to 7.2 per cent in February against 9.1 per cent in the same month the previous year pulled down by a d ecline in the performance of cement and electricity sectors

The infrastructure index comprising six core industries - steel, cement, coal, crude oil, refinery and electricity - account for a quarter of the country's industrial production, which represents a 25 per cent of Asia's fourth-largest economy.

Cement production registered a growth of just 5.8 per cent, a steep decline from the 16.3 per cent growth in February 2006, while growth of electricity dipped to 3.3 per cent from 9.1 per cent in February 2006, resulting in an overall decline in the overall infrastructure index.

The Index stood at 219.9 in February 2007 as against 205.2 in the same month of previous fiscal, according to figures released by the government.

On a cumulative basis, the core sector growth in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year stood at 8.3 per cent as against 6.1 per cent in the same period a year earlier, data released by the commerce ministry showed.

The growth of cement production saw a decline also for the 11-month period at 9.5 per cent from 11.9 per cent in April-February 2005-06.

Electricity generation grew 7.2 per cent for the 11-month period, as against 5.3 per cent during the same period of 2 005-06.

The six core sector industries had registered a year-on-year growth of 8.7 per cent in January 2007, compared to a growth of 8.2 per cent in January 2006.