Inflation Dips To 29-Week Low Of 3.95%

Inflation dipped for the sixth consecutive week, declining to a 29-week low of 3.95 per cent during the week ended August 9 compared with 3.96 per cent in the previous week, even as prices of primary articles like fruits and vegetable rose while manufactured and fuel costs remained unchanged.

According to a provisional data, the wholesale price index (WPI), with 1993-94 base prices, however, rose by 0.1 per cent to 173.5 points, as against 166.9 points in the corresponding period last year.

This occurred due to the index for primary articles that rose from 0.2 per cent to 181.7 per cent during the week ended August 9, compared with 181.4 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

 

Within primary articles, the food prices rose by 0.3 per cent to 182.2 per cent on account of higher prices of jowar, bajra, fruits and vegetables and ragi, while the minerals group rose by 0.2 per cent to 119.9 per cent. The non-food items index, however, fell 0.2 per cent to 185.2 per cent due to reduced cotton prices.

The final inflation and WPI for the week ended June 14, remained unaltered at their provisional level of 4.97 per cent and 173.2 points, respectively.

During the week ended August 9, the fuel, power lights and lubricants index remained unchanged at 247.5 points. The manufactured products index was also constant at the previous week