Inflation rate down further at 5.91 per cent
09 Jan 2009
The annual rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index stood lower at 5.91 per cent (provisional) for the week ended 27 December 2008 as compared to 6.38 per cent (provisional) for the previous week (ended 20 December 2008) and 3.83 per cent during the corresponding week (ended 29 December 2007) of the previous year.
The official wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week ended 27 December 2008 declined by 0.3 per cent to 229.5 (provisional) from 230.2 (provisional) for the previous week.
The index for the 'primary articles' group declined by 0.5 per cent to 247.5 (provisional) from 248.8 (provisional) for the previous week.
Among this major group, the index for 'food articles' group declined by 0.7 percent to 240.8 (provisional) from 242.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of jowar (-5 per cent), fruits and vegetables (-3 per cent) and eggs and bajra (-1 per cent each). However, the prices of urad (1 per cent) moved up.
The index for 'non-food articles' group declined marginally to 236.0 (provisional) from 236.1 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of sunflower (-8 per cent). However, the prices of raw rubber (10 per cent) and raw silk (5 per cent) moved up.
The annual rate of inflation for 'primary articles' stood at 11.59 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 12.07 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 3.74 per cent as of 29 December 2007.
The inflation rate for 'food articles' stood at 9.95 per cent (provisional) for the week under review as compared to 10.52 per cent (provisional) in the previous week. It was 1.77 per cent as of 29 December 2007.
The index for the 'fuel, power, light & lubricants' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 330.5 (provisional).
The index for the manufactured products group declined by 0.3 per cent to 200.8 (provisional) from 201.4 (provisional) for the previous week.
Among the group, the index for 'food products' rose 0.3 per cent to 200.1 (provisional) from 199.6 (provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of unrefined oil (14 per cent), khandsari (2 per cent) and groundnut oil and gur (1 per cent each). However, the prices of rice bran oil and imported edible oil (-1 per cent each) declined.
The index for 'textiles' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 141.1 (provisional) from 141.2 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of polyester staple fibre (-2 per cent).
The index for 'paper & paper products' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 205.9 (provisional) from 206.3 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of newsprint (-1 per cent).
The index for 'chemicals & chemical products' group declined by 1.3 per cent to 217.2 (provisional) from 220.0 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of acid (all kinds) (-27 per cent), acetylene (-4 per cent) and oxygen (-1 per cent). However, the prices of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) (1 per cent) moved up.
The index for 'machinery & machine tools' group declined by 0.8 per cent to 175.5 (provisional) from 176.9 (provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of enamelled copper wires (-28 per cent).
The inflation rate for the week ended 1 November 2008 has been revised to 8.70 per cent (final) from 8.98 per cent (provisional) reported earlier. The final wholesale price index for 'all commodities' (Base:1993-94=100) also stood revised at 234.9 from 235.5 reported earlier.
