Consumer price inflation for industrial workers a tad lower at 4.36% in March

The All-India CPI-IW for March, 2018 remained stationery at 287 (two hundred and eighty seven). On 1-month percentage change, it remained static between February and March, 2018 when compared with the increase of (+) 0.36 per cent between the corresponding months of previous year.

The maximum pressure to the change in current index came from Food froup contributing (-) 0.25 percentage points to the total change. At item level, wheat, arhar dal, eggs, poultry, onion, tamarind, coconut, tomato, sugar, cooking gas, fire wood, flowers flower garlands, etc are responsible for the decrease in index. However, this decrease was checked by rice, fish fresh, apple, bitter gourd, brinjal, french bean, lady finger, lemon, parval, peas, potato, radish, doctor’s fee, bus fare, etc, putting upward pressure on the index.

At centre level, Goa reported the maximum increase of 5 points, followed by Jalpaiguri and Howrah (4 points each). Among others, 3 points increase was observed in 4 centres, 2 points in 7 centres and 1 point in 14 centres.

On the contrary, Kodarma recorded a maximum decrease of 8 points, followed by Nasik (5 points) and Tiruchirapally and Chennai (4 points each). Among others, 3 points decrease was observed in 4 centres, 2 points in another 4 centres and 1 point in 17 centres. Indices for the remaining 21 centres remained stationary.

The indices of 37 centres are above all-India index and for 38 centres these are below national average. The indices of Mumbai, Chandigarh and Jabalpur centres remained at par with all-India index.