New Delhi: Mirroring the buoyancy in economy, India's key infrastructure sector grew 5.9 per cent in December 2003, as opposed to a growth of 4.4 per cent in the same month in 2002.

Growth in petroleum refinery output, power generation and crude oil production was higher than December 2002, but that in coal and finished steel slipped marginally lower than the corresponding period, an official release said in New Delhi today (Jan 21, 2004).

Cement growth rate was down to a modest 5.5 per cent from a high of 16.2 per cent in 2002.

The six infrastructure industries posted a lower growth rate of 4.5 per cent in the first three quarters of 2003-04 fiscal as against 6 per cent growth in April-December 2002.