Core industry index grows at 5.5%

New Delhi, Oct 4 (UNI) The index of six core infrastructure industries including crude petroleum, petroleum refinery products, coal, electricity, cement and finished (carbon) steel has registered a marginal decline in growth at 5.5 per cent in August 2006 as compared to 5.8 per cent during the corresponding period last year.

Crude petroleum production (weight of 4.17 per cent in the index of industrial production) registered a growth of 11.9 per cent in August 2006 as compared to a negative growth of 16.1 per cent in August 2005, official figures released here said.

Petroleum refinery production registered a growth of 12.2 per cent in August 2006 compared to a growth of 2.5 per cent during the same period last year.

Coal production posted a growth of 0.2 per cent in August-06 as compared to a growth of 10.6 per cent in August 2005. While, electricity generation registered a growth of 3.7 per cent in August 2006 as compared to growth of 7.9 per cent during the same period last year.

The cement production registered a growth of 2.2 per cent in August 2006 as compared to 19.3 per cent in August 2005, while Finished (carbon) steel production registered a growth of 6.3 per cent in August 2006 as compared to 7.7 per cent during the corresponding period last year.

During April-August 2006-07, the six core infrastructure industries registered a growth of 6.7 per cent as against 6.1 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year.

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