Inflation jumps to 5.41 per cent

New Delhi, Aug 26: THE annual inflation rate again rose by 0.19 percentage points to 5.41 per cent for the week ended August 11 as primary and manufactured products became costlier.

The point-to-point inflation rate based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities (base: 1993-94 = 100), which had risen by 0.29 percentage points to 5.22 per cent in the previous week, rose again, even as fuel prices remained firm and the index was 6.31 per cent a year ago.

WPI, which went up by 0.3 per cent in the previous week to 161.4, rose by a mere 0.1 per cent to 161.6 for the period and the index was 153.3 in the previous year. The final WPI stood at 161, as compared to a provisional figure of 160.9, while the final inflation rate was at 5.3 per cent, as against the provisional mark of 5.23 per cent during the period.

The All India Price Index for Agricultural and Rural Labour (CPI-AL& CPI-RL) increased by three and two points to 309 and 311 respectively in July. Primary articles became costlier by 0.4 per cent and manufactured products by 0.1 per cent, while fuel items stayed unchanged at their previous week’s figure.

The index for Primary Articles’ group rose to 169.4 from 8.7 as there was a sharp 0.5 per cent rise in the price of food articles and 0.4 per cent rise in non-food items, despite a 0.1 per cent decline in mineral prices. The index was 162.9 in the previous year. Food articles’ group index rose to 176.8 from 176 due to costlier beef and buffalo meat (9 per cent), bajra (4 per cent), moong, fruits and vegetables and mutton (3 per cent each), urad (2 per cent) and masur, eggs, condiments and spices (1 per cent each).

Prices fell in the case of fish-marine (four per cent), ragi and poultry chicken (3 per cent each), jowar (2 per cent) and rice (1 per cent).

(PTI).