The country's roads sector has been among the fastest growing infrastructure areas, while the coal and power sectors have seen a declining trend in growth rates during the past decade.
From a negative rate of growth of minus 11.7 per cent in 1996-97 and minus 34.9 per cent in 1997-98, upgradation of highways led to increase in growth rates for the roads sector to 47.6 per cent and 68.6 per cent during 1998-99 and 1999-2000, respectively.
With the initiation of the Rs 58,000 crore National Highways Development Project for upgradation of roads in the country last year, the rate of growth for the sector is expected to be sustained at high levels over the next few years.
Similarly passengers handled at the country's airports has been increasing at domestic and international terminals.
Growth of passengers handled at domestic terminals increased from a negative growth rate of 2.8 per cent in 1997-98 to 7.4 per cent in 1999-2000 and 7.7 per cent in 2000-01. Passengers at international terminals grew at 4.6 per cent in 2000-01, as compared to a growth rate of 3.1 per cent in 1997-98.
Cargo handled at major ports grew at 3.5 per cent in 1991-92, with growth rates touching 10 per cent and 9.2 per cent during 1994-95 and 1995-96, when the domestic economy witnessed a boom. Growth in ports has since then slowed down marginally, with the sector registering a growth rate of 3.3 per cent in 2000-01.
Similarly, the growth of revenue earning freight traffic in the railways has averaged around four per cent during the last decade, with 1999-2000 being an exceptionally good year which saw a 8.4 per cent growth in freight traffic.
In the petroleum sector, crude oil growth rates increased, from minus 8.1 per cent in 1991-92 to 19.2 per cent in the high growth year of 1994-95, ending the year at 1.6 per cent. Refinery capacity saw an increase from minus 0.7 per cent to over 20 per cent during both 1999-00 and 2000-01.
On the flip side, both the power and coal sectors, which saw a growth of 8.5 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively in 1991-92, registered a lower rate of growth by the end of the decade. While the power sector grew at 3.9 per cent in 2000-01, the coal sector registered a 3 per cent growth over the last year.
The cement sector, which registered a growth rate of 10.3 per cent in 1991-92, experinced mediocre growth for a few years and then registered a 14 per cent growth during 1999-2000. The sector, however, ended the year at a negative growth rate of 0.5 per cent in 2000-01.
