Three weeks ago, it had touched 112-week high of 8.16 per cent, which was the highest since November 14, 1998 when it was 8.21 per cent (final).

According to the Institute of Economic Growth, the inflation may touch the nine per cent by the end of current fiscal mainly due to significant hike in petroleum prices.

The Wholesale Price Index for all commodities (base 1993-94) remained unaltered at 157.8 on January 13 despite the index for primary articles going up by 0.1 per cent, while the indices for fuel, power, light and lubricants and manufactured products remained static at their previous week's level at 217.9 and 143.2 respectively.

The final Wholesale Price Index for all commodities (base 1993-94 ) stood at 158 on November 18 last year as against the provisional index of 157.9. The inflation rate based on final index worked out to 7.48 per cent as against 7.41 per cent based on the provisional index.

With tea prices zooming by 19 per cent, fish (inland) by 10 per cent, fish (marine) by two per cent, rice and maize by one per cent each, the index for food articles, under the primary articles group, rose by 0.1 per cent to 168.6 from 168.4. But the prices of bajra, milk, eggs and mutton fell by two per cent each, jowar and ragi by one per cent each.

The index for non-food articles rose by 0.4 per cent to 146.8 from 146.2 due to nine per cent hike in prices soyabean, two per cent rise in prices of raw jute, one per cent increase in prices of rapeseed, mustardseed, cotton seed, gingerly seed and fodder. But the prices of sunflower dropped by five per cent, raw skins and raw rubber by one per cent each. With asbestos prices plummeting by seven per cent, limestone prices dropping by five per cent and silica sand by three per cent, the index for minerals declined by 0.8 per cent to 114.9 from 115.8. But the prices of barytes became dearer by eight per cent and magnesite by five per cent.

(UNI)