GDP growth to be 6.9% in FY05: Govt

Lower agricultural performance in the current financial year is likely to pull the economic growth down to 6.9% from 8.5% in the last financial year.

According to advance estimates of national income released by the government, growth in the agricultural sector is expected to be 1.1% in the current fiscal as against a growth of over 9.6% last year.

Even robust manufacturing sector growth estimated at 8.9% in 2004-05 as compared to 6.9% in 2003-04 may not be able to check the fall in overall economic growth, the advance estimates said.