Assocham for strong policy measures on coal, gas pricing

Industry body Assocham has pressed for strong policy measures on pricing of coal and gas, strengthening the power distribution framework and addressing the issue of public sector monopoly in coal production to lift the performance of core sector.
"The new government needs to initiate a comprehensive review of not only policies but also processes that govern core industries," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.
Healthy output of electricity, coal and crude oil helped in pushing the core sector growth to 4.5 per cent in February from 1.3 per cent in the same month a year ago.
The Index of Eight Core Industries grew 1.6 per cent in January this year.

The eight core industries -- fertilisers, cement, steel, electricity, crude oil, coal, petroleum refinery products and natural gas -- have a combined weight of about 38 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production.