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The infrastructure growth showed signs of ‘marginal revival’ as higher demand for finished steel and increased output by petroleum refineries fuelled the growth of the six core industries which grew by 2.2 per cent in February as against 1.4 per cent in the month of January.
In comparison to the growth during the corresponding period last year, it has fallen sharply from seven per cent in February 2008. The growth in output in the six key industries namely crude oil, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished steel for the period April-February this fiscal year was three per cent as against 5.8 per cent a year ago.
Finished steel recorded a growth of 3.6 per cent in the penultimate month of this fiscal, up from 2.3 per cent in February 2008 and 1.2 per cent in January in this financial year.
Crude oil production has not been able to improve and still remains in the negative zone and it has rather dipped by 6.2 per cent in February while it had registered a growth of 2.3 per cent a year ago.
Production of petroleum refinery products, which had declined by 2.6 per cent in January has shown some signs of improvement by recording growth of 0.5 per cent in February. The Hindu
March 28, 2009
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