Increased prices of food grains, vegetables and fruits pushed inflation by over 70 per cent to 3.34 per cent by December 28 from a low 1.96 per cent recorded during the first week of January, 2002, though fuel as a group did not show much change during the period.The point-to-point price change, as measured by wholesale price index (WPI), rose for the second consecutive week by 0.12 per cent from 3.12 per cent despite a 7 per cent fall in vegetable prices during the week. WPI, however, remained firm at the previous week’s level of 166.9 even as prices soared for heavy-weighted manufactured products. The index was 161.5 a year-ago period.Apparently giving respite to common mass, the index for primary articles’ group declined marginally by 0.1 per cent to 173.7 from the previous week’s 173.8 due to 0.2 per cent fall in the price of food articles even as non-food items became costlier by 0.4 per cent. The index was 168.4 in the previous week.Despite apprehensions over rise in global crude owing to tensions in West Asia, the index for fuel, power, light and lubricants’ group stood firm for the second consecutive week at 238.8 and the index was 181.1 a year ago. Food articles’ group index fell to 177.5 from 177.9 due to cheaper vegetables (7 per cent), gram (3 per cent), fish-inland and tea (2 per cent) and bajra and arhar (1 per cent each).
