Inflation drops below 5% again

NEW DELHI, April 19: After a brief upward spell, the inflation rate has once again receded below the five per cent mark to touch 4.91 per cent on April 4 due to substantial decline in prices of food articles and food products. It was 5.03 per cent in the preceding week. However, it was 6.66 per cent during the corresponding week last year.

The latest 0.12 per cent decline was caused by the fall in prices of jowar, gram, atta, barley, ragi, condiments, spices, woollen yarn and caustic soda.

But raw tobacco, raw cotton and ceramic tiles witnessed buoyancy in their prices. It is for the second time this year that the inflation rate has come down below the five per cent mark. It fell below the five per cent mark on March 14 after a gap of 11 weeks when it touched 4.92. It was hovering above the five per cent mark for ten weeks in a row since January 3.