Consumer price inflation for industrial workers remains at 6.16% in February as well

Similarly, food price inflation stood at 6.13 per cent against 5.69 per cent of the previous month and 5.09 per cent during the corresponding month a year ago, as per data compiled by the Labour Bureau, an attached office of the ministry of labour and employment.

The All-India CPI-IW for February 2023 decreased by 0.1 point and stood at 132.7 points. On 1-month percentage change, it decreased by 0.08 per cent with respect to previous month. A decrease of 0.08 per cent was recorded between corresponding months a year ago.

The maximum downward pressure in current index came from the food and beverages group, which contributed 0.1 percentage point to the total change. At item level, cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, carrot, onion, potato, peas, French-bean, drumstick, kundru, grapes, sunflower oil, soyabean oil, mustard oil, poultry/chicken, eggs and fish etc are responsible for the fall in index. However, this decrease was checked by higher prices of rice, wheat, wheat atta, buffalo milk, cow milk, pure ghee, garlic, gourd, lady’s finger, parwal, cuminseed/jira, apple, banana, mango, country liquor, foreign liquor and medicine.

At centre level, Raniganj, Jalpaiguri and Puduchery recorded the maximum decrease of 1.8 points each. Among others, 5 centres recorded decrease between 1 to 1.4 points and 32 centres between 0.1 to 0.9 points. On the contrary, Amritsar recorded a maximum increase of 3.1 points. Among others, 7 centres recorded increase between 1 to 1.9 points and 37 centres between 0.1 to 0.9 points. Indices for the remaining 3 centres remained stationary.

The Labour Bureau has been compiling Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers every month on the basis of retail prices collected from 317 markets spread over 88 industrially important centres in the country. The index is compiled for 88 centres and All-India and is released on the last working day of succeeding month.