Inflation rises further

The recent minuscule rise of 0.09 per cent in the inflation rate was on account of rise in prices of fruits, vegetables, raw silk, steatite, limestone, packed tea, instant coffee, solvent extracted groundnut oil, beer, filament yarn synthetic, linseed oil, steel wiring and enamelled copper wires. But the prices of eggs, condiments, spices, raw rubber, raw wool, fodder, gengelly seed, raw jute, jute manufactures, formaldehyde, bezene and electric motor phase 111 HP declined during the week under review.

In the previous week, the inflation rate crossed the six per cent barrier for the first time in 50 weeks when it touched 6.05 per cent. Since then, it hasbeen orbiting above the six per cent mark. The inflation rate has been in the single digit for the 163rd week in succession, pushing the old record of 1993 into oblivion, when it stood at in the single digit for 52 weeks.For the seventh successive week, the official whoelsale price index for all commodities (base 1981-82) registered a rise of 0.1 per cent to touch 342.2 during the week ended may nine from 341.8 in the preceding week.

The main factor behind this rise in the WPI was the increase in the increase in the indices of food articles, minerals, food products, beverages, tobacco and tobacco products, textiles, non-metallic mineral products, basic metals, alloys and metal products, machinery and machine tools and transport equipment and parts. The final wholesale price index for all commodities.

Base (1981-82) stood at 336.5 (336.7) during the week ended March 14. The inflation rate based on final index fell marginally to 4.86 per cent.