Retail inflation for industrial workers up 4% in Dec on food price rise

Retail inflation for industrial workers rose to 4 per cent in December, 2017 from 2.23 per cent a year ago, mainly due to increase in the price of certain food items and electricity charges.

"The year-on-year inflation measured by monthly CPI-IW (Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers) stood at 4 per cent for December 2017 as compared to 3.97 per cent for previous month (November 2017) and 2.23 per cent during the corresponding month (December 2016) of the previous year," a labour ministry statement said.

Similarly, it said that the food inflation stood at 4.32 per cent against 3.91 per cent of the previous month (November 2017) and 0.67 (December 2016) per cent during the same month of the previous year.

It said that the maximum downward pressure to the change in current index came from food group contributing (-) 2.37 percentage points to the total change.

At item level, Rice, Arhar Dal, Gram Dal, Groundnut Oil, Chillies Green, Brinjal, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, French Beans, Green Coriander Leaves, Methi, Palak, Peas, Potato, Radish, Tomato, Banana, Sugar, ESI Premium Contribution, Toilet Soap, etc are responsible for the decrease in index.

However, it said that this decrease was checked by Wheat Atta, Coconut Oil, Fish Fresh, Goat Meat, Onion, Tamarind, Coconut, Electricity Charges and Firewood. Secondary School Fee, Flowers/Flower Garlands, etc, putting upward pressure on the index.

The All-India CPI-IW for December, 2017 decreased by 2 points and pegged at 286 (two hundred and eighty six). On one-month percentage change, it decreased by (-) 0.69 per cent between November, 2017 and December, 2017 when compared with the decrease of (-) 0.72 per cent for the corresponding months of last year.

At centre level, Jamshedpur and Tiruchirapally reported the maximum decrease of (7 points each) followed by Doom Dooma, Tinsukia, Siliguri, Godavarikhani and Jalpaiguri (6 points each).

Among others, 5 points decrease was observed in 7 centres, 4 points in 10 centres, 3 points in 9 centres, 2 points in 21 centres and 1 point in 13 centres.

On the contrary, Darjeeling recorded a maximum increase of 8 points followed by Maria (4 points) and Srinagar (3 points). Among others, 2 points increase was observed in 2 centres and 1 point in 2 centres. Rest of the 5 centres indices remained stationary.

The indices of 35 centers are above All-India Index and 43 centres indices are below national average.