An impressive performance by the petroleum sector propelled infrastructure growth to 5.7 per cent during the first half of the current fiscal as against 5.4 per cent during the same period of last financial year.
However, a slump in the performance of the six major infrastructure industries last month was a matter of concern as it fell from 7.9 per cent in September 2003 to 5.9 per cent.
These industries had been maintaining a growth rate since July on a month-to-month basis.
Among the performance of various sectors, official figures show that the production of finished steel came down drastically to three per cent during the first six months as against 11.9 per cent during the first half of last fiscal.
However, crude petroleum output rose to 4.2 per cent during the first half of current fiscal as against -1.5 per cent during the same period of last fiscal.
Similarly petroleum refinery products output grew 7.4 per cent as against 6.1 per cent during the first half of 2003-04 financial year.
Cement sector growth came down marginally to 4.8 per cent during April-September 2004 as against 5.6 per cent during the comparable period of 2003.
While electricity sector grew by 7.8 per cent as against 3 per cent during the first half of last financial year, coal sector rose 6.6 per cent during the first six months of this year as against 4.1 per cent during April-September, 2003, official figures reveal.