By IANS
New Delhi : India’s energy sector lost momentum in key areas like electricity generation, crude oil production and refining during April-Dec 2007, the Economy Survey for 2007-08 said Thursday.
However, coal and natural gas sectors reported higher growth rate compared to the same period of the preceding financial year, the survey said.
Electricity generation in the country grew at a rate of just 6.6 percent during April-Dec 2007 as against 7.5 percent growth in fiscal 2006-07.
Domestic crude production fared even worse. The sector showed a lacklustre growth of 0.3 percent as compared to the hefty growth of 6.1 percent it registered in the corresponding period of last financial year.
Crude refining sector also seemed to be losing momentum this year, with growth decelerating to 7.5 percent from 13.2 percent in the same period of the previous fiscal.
Coal production grew at a rate of 4.9 percent in the first three quarters of the current fiscal as compared to 4.5 percent growth reported by it in the same period of the last financial year.
Natural gas production reported a positive growth of 2.2 percent as against reduction of 2 percent in output in the same period previous year.