Retail inflation for industrial workers up 6.6% in January

Retail inflation for industrial workers rose to 6.6 per cent in Janurary 2019 on account of higher prices of certain food items.

The year-on-year inflation based on CPI-IW (Consumer Price Index for industrial workers) stood at 5.11 per cent during the corresponding month (January 2018) of the previous year, a Labour Ministry statement said.

In December 2018, it was 5.24 per cent.

Similarly, it stated that the food inflation stood at (+) 0.97 per cent against (-) 0.96 per cent in the previous month and 3.36 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

According to the statement, the All-India CPI-IW for January, 2019 increased by 6 points and pegged at 307 points. On one-month percentage change, it increased by (+) 1.99 per cent between December 2018 and January 2019 when compared with the increase of (+) 0.70 percent for the corresponding months of last year.

The data showed that the maximum upward pressure to the change in current index came from Housing group contributing (+) 5.16 percentage points to the total change.

At item level, Wheat, Arhar Dal, Fish Frsh, Goat Meat, Coconut, Lady's Finger, Tomato, Flowers/Flower Garlands, etc. are responsible for the increase in index.

However, this increase was checked by Onion, Brinjal, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Gourd, Peas, Potato, Cooking Gas, Electricity Charges, etc., putting downward pressure on the index.

At centre level Nagpur reported the maximum increase of 21 points followed by Nasik (17 points), Amritsar, Quilon, Jharia (13 points each) and Jaipur (12 points). Among others, 11 points increase was observed in 3 centres, 10 points in 7 centres, 9 points in 3 centres, 8 points in 5 centres, 6 points in 9 centres, 5 points in 6 centres, 4 points in 7 centres, 3 points in 7 centres, 2 points in 7 centres and 1 point in 6 centres. On the contrary, Darjeeling recorded a maximum decrease of 4 points followed by Siliguri (3 points).

Among others, 2 points decrease was observed in 4 centres and 1 point in 2 centres. Rest of the 4 centres' indices remained stationary. The indices of 35 centres are above All-India Index and 42 centres' indices are below national average. The index of Rourkela centre remained at par with All-India Index.