Growth rate can go beyond 6 percent: Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi, Aug. 28 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said that India may be able to attain over six per cent growth rate in the current fiscal.

"In the last five years, the GDP growth rate was eight per cent. It was 6.7 per cent in 2008-09. This year, it would be difficult to say because of drought. If there is no major difficulty or constraint, it would be possible to have a six plus per cent of GDP in 2009-10," he said during an interaction with members of Editors Guild of India in New Delhi.

Last year, he noted, had been particularly difficult in the second half because of high prices of petroleum products, high rate of inflation and global financial crisis.

Mukherjee said excess liquidity had to be mopped up and the two packages announced by the Prime Minister late last year and subsequent pacakges in the wake of the meltdown had helped arrest the fall in growth.

After referring to drought and other problems, he said his another area of concern was that people were commenting about the reforms agenda.

"Reforms are a continuous process. It is going in the right direction. There is no scope for anxiety about pursuing financial sector reforms." (ANI)