Inflation rate edges up to 1.51 per cent

The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index stood at 1.51 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 17 October 2009, 0.30 basis points up from the 1.21 per cent (provisional) recorded for the previous week (ended 10 October 2009).

Inflation rate during the corresponding week of the previous year (ended18 October 2008) stood at 10.82 per cent.

Build up of inflation in the financial year so far was higher at 5.95 per cent compared to a build up of 5.25 per cent in the corresponding period of the previous year. The 52-week average inflation for the week ended 17 October 2009 was 2.33 per cent.

The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (Base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week under review remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 242.2 (provisional).

The index for the `primary articles' group declined 0.1 per cent to 273.3 (provisional) from 273.5 (provisional) for the previous week.

Among primary articles, the index for the 'food articles' group declined 0.1 per cent to 278.4 (provisional) from 278.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of fish-marine (-6 per cent). However, the prices of tea, mutton, maize, arhar, condiments and spices and moong (1 per cent each) moved up.