The annual rate of inflation rose marginally by 0.02 percentage points to close the week ended June 14 at 5.85 per cent.
The annual inflation (provisional), calculated on a point-to-point basis, rose to 5.85 per cent in the reference week from 5.83 per cent the week before. The rate during the corresponding week last year was 4.4 per cent.
The inflation based on wholesale price index (WPI) has been witnessing a declining trend due to the fall in prices of primary articles in the last three months, especially vegetables.
Meanwhile, the official WPI for all commodities (base 1981-82=100) recorded a 0.2 per cent rise to 323.8 (provisional) during the week under review as against 323.2 (provisional) the week before.The annual rate of inflation based on the final index for the week ended April 19, 1997 stood at 6.4 per cent as against 6.5 per cent during the same week based on provisional index.
Compared with the 5.85 per cent inflation in all commodities, the inflation in primary articles during the year was only 3.61 per cent, while inflation in manufactured products was 4.95 per cent.
The rise in the index for other major group, fuel, power, light and lubricants was much higher at 18.25 per cent during the year.Interestingly, inflation based on consumer price index for industrial workers (CPI-IW) is still much higher at 9.3 per cent in April (latest available) compared with 6.6 per cent for the month based on WPI.
During the reference week, among the various major WPI groups, index for primary articles rose by 0.6 per cent to 332.8 from 330.9 for the previous week. While indices for fuel, power, light and lubricants remained unchanged at its previous weeks level, manufactured products moved up marginally.
Among the commodities which witnessed substantial fluctuations during
the week were: tea (up 17 per cent), fodder (up 5 per cent) and wheat, rice bran oil and filament yarn synthetic (down 4 per cent each).
Among primary articles, the index for food articles rose by 0.8 per cent to 379.9 compared with 376.7 for the previous week due to higher prices of tea (17 per cent), milk and condiments and spices (3 per cent each) and vegetables, fruits and eggs (1 per cent each).
However, prices of wheat (-4 per cent), bajra (-3 per cent) and barley and moong (-2 per cent each) went up compared with the previous week.
The index for non-food articles also rose by 0.2 per cent to 335.1 from 334.5 due to higher prices of fodder (5 per cent), raw silk (3 per cent), copra and soyabean (2 per cent each) and castor seed (1 per cent). Prices of raw rubber (-3 per cent) and groundnut seed (1 per cent) declined compared with the previous week.The index for fuel, power, light and lubricants group remained unchanged at its previous weeks level of 349.2.
The index for the group manufactured products stood at 314.0 against 313.9 for the previous week.
Under the group, the index for food products increased by 0.3 per cent to
318.5 from 317.6 for the last week due to higher prices of ghee and gur (2 per cent each) and khandsari and poultry feed (1 per cent).
However, prices of rice bran oil (-4 per cent), coconut oil and solvent extracted groundnut oil (-3 per cent each) and gingelly oil (-2 per cent each) fell.
The index for textiles declined by 0.1 per cent to 306.7 from 306.9 for the last week due to the decline in the prices of filament yarn synthetic (-4 per cent) and viscose filament yarn (-1 per cent). However, price of polyester staple fibre (1 per cent) increased.
The index for non-metallic mineral products rose by 0.1 per cent to 349.4 from 349.1 for the previous week due to higher price of asbestos, cement and corrugated sheets (2 per cent).
The index for basic metals, alloys and metal products group stood at 345.5 from 345.4 for the previous week due to higher price of steel wire (2 per cent).
The indices for all other group remained unaltered at their respective previous weeks levels.
