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Infrastructure sector growth slows down to 3% in June; coal goes lukewarm

Infrastructure output grew at a slower pace of 3 percent in June as sectors like coal and steel turned weak while oil and gas production fell -- bolstering the case for faster reforms and further rate cuts by the RBI.

The sharp decline in the pace of growth during June follows a six-month high rate of 4.4 percent in May this year. The growth rate was much higher a year ago at 8.7 percent in June 2014.

RBI is scheduled to review its policy rates next week on 4 August, although it has already cut the rates thrice so far in 2015. Besides, calls are getting louder for an urgent need to quicken the pace of reforms as a number of key reform proposals including in areas like land, labour and resources are stuck due to a political slugfest.

According to the data released by the commerce and industry ministry today, crude oil and natural gas production declined by 0.7 percent and 5.9 percent in June this year.

Output of coal, steel, cement and electricity moderated to 6.3 percent, 4.9 percent, 2.6 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, during last month.

The output growth of coal, steel, cement and electricity stood at 8.2 percent, 12 percent, 13.4 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively in June 2014.

In March and April, the eight sectors, which contribute 38 percent to overall industrial production, had declined by 0.1 percent and 0.4 percent respectively. However, in May, the output of the eight sectors expanded by 4.4 percent.

During April-June period of the current fiscal, the sectors' output expanded by 2.4 percent as against 6 percent in the corresponding period last year.

The overall growth of eight core industries in the entire 2014-15 fiscal stood at 3.5 percent against 4.2 per cent in the previous fiscal.

source: http://www.firstpost.com