In yet another incident of data error, the ministry of commerce and industry Friday revised growth figures of India's infrastructure sector output for May to 3.8 percent, within hours after announcing that the growth rate was 4.6 percent compared to 5.8 percent growth in May in 2011.

A correction issued by the ministry said India's core industries grew at an annual rate of 3.8 percent in May, as against the 4.6 percent rise reported earlier. The ministry also decreased the growth estimate of the eight core sector industries for April to 3.1 percent from 3.9 percent stated earlier. 

Ironically, the government celebrated Statistics Day 2012 on the same day.

Last month, the ministry had put the growth rate of these industries in April at 2.2 percent, which was later revised to 3.9 percent. But on Friday it said the growth estimate had to be pared down because of an error in cement data-output of this industry in April was 11.3 percent and not 22.1 percentas estimated earlier

According to the fresh figures for May, electricity generation grew by 5.2 percent, substantially down from 10.3 percent growth registered in the same month last year. 

Growth in steel production fell to 4.9 percent during the month under review as compared to 8 percent in May 2012. 

Crude oil production registered a sluggish 0.5 percent growth, while production of natural gas dropped by 10.8 percent. 

However, cement production registered a growth of 11.3 percent in May 2012 against a drop of 1.2 percent during the corresponding month of 2011.