Inflation rate climbs further to 0.83 per cent

The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index stood at 0.83 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 19 September 2009, against 0.37 per cent (provisional) in the previous week (ended 12 September 2009), as prices of food and other essential items continued to rise for the whole of September.

The inflation rate stood at 12.13 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year (ended 20 September 2008.

The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week under review rose 0.3 per cent to 243.3 (provisional) from 242.6  (provisional) for the previous week.

Built-up of inflation in the financial year so far was 6.43 per cent, more or less the same as the build-up of 6.44 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year. The 52-week average inflation for the week ended 19 September 2009 was 3.03 per cent.
 
The index for the `primary articles' group rose 0.4 per cent to 276.5 (provisional) from 275.3 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among primary articles, the index for the 'food articles'  group rose 0.7 per cent to  282.2 (provisional) from 280.3  (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of fish-inland (13 per cent) and condiments and spices, masur and pork (1 per cent each). However, the prices of urad (-2 per cent) and bajra and maize (-1 per cent each) declined.

The index for the 'non-food articles' group declined 0.1 per cent to 239.5 (provisional) from 239.8 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of raw rubber (-2 per cent).