New Delhi : Eight core sectors grew to a six-month high of 5.2 per cent in September, helped by a robust performance in coal, natural gas and refinery segments, official data showed on Tuesday. The eight infrastructure sectors — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity — had witnessed a growth of 5.3 per cent in September last year. The expansion in September is highest since April, when the core sectors’ growth stood at 2.6 per cent.
The production of coal, natural gas and refinery products rose by 10.6 per cent, 6.3 per cent and 8.1 per cent, respectively on annual basis, according to the data released by the commerce and industry ministry. Crude oil output registered a growth of 0.1 per cent during the month under review as compared to a contraction of 4.1 per cent in September 2016. On the other hand, growth rate of steel and cement production was slower in September this year as against the same month previous fiscal. Electricity generation recorded almost flat growth.
India’s fiscal deficit at the end of the first half of the current fiscal touched 91.3 per cent of the budget estimate, mainly due to rise in expenditure. In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit — difference between expenditure and revenue — was Rs 4.99 lakh crore during the April-September period of 2017-18, according to the data of Controller General of Accounts (CGA). During the same period of last financial year, 2016-17, the deficit was at 83.9 per cent of the target.
