Inflation falls

During this week the index for the primary articles8217; and fuel, power, light and lubricants8217; remained unchanged while that of manufactured products rose by 0.3 per cent to 140.3 from 139.9 in the previous week. The final rate of inflation during the weekended June 24 stood at 6.62 per cent as compared to the provisional figure of 6.20 per cent.

The final figure for the index for the All Commoditiesindex was 153.0 as compared to the provisional figure of 152.4.

The inflation rate based on the consumer price index forindustrial workers CPI- IW fell to 4.95 per cent in the month of July from the level of 5.24 per cent in June this year. The corresponding figure for July 1999 was 3.16 per cent.

During the week under consideration the index for thein group Primary Articles remained unchanged at the previous weeks level of 163.6, while that of its subgroups food articles and non-food articles moved in opposite directions.

The index for subgroup Food Articles rose by 0.2 percent to 171.1 from 170.8 in the previous week due to higher prices of barley 3 per cent, maize and ragi 2 per cent each, and urad, fruits and vegetables and fish inland 1 per cent each.

However, the prices of bajra 3 per cent, Jowar 2 percent and moong and eggs 1 per cent each declined.

A fall in the prices of mesta5 per cent, fodder 3 percent, groundnut seed 2 per cent and raw jute, raw silk and raw rubber 1 per cent each pulled the index for Non food articles down by 0.3 per cent to 148.7 from 149.2 in the previous week.

The prices of cotton seed and copra from this category,however, rose by one per cent each.

The index for the major group Fuel, Power, light andlubricants which mostly consists of items whose prices are administered by the government stood unchanged at the previous week8217;s level of 194.6.

In the past one year the indices of Primary Articles,Manufactured Products and Fuel, power, light and lubricants rose by 1.55 per cent, 2.33 per cent and 25.71 per cent respectively.