Inflation of 30 essential commodities over 20% in Nov: Meena

The government said wholesale price inflation of 30 essential commodities has crossed 20 per cent in November.

“The wholesale price index based inflation in 30 essential commodities in the month of November,2009 was 21.15 per cent compared to 17.91 per cent in October and 18.50 per cent in September,” Minister of state for Finance Namo Narain Meena told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

To another query,Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said,the Government is monitoring price situation at regular intervals and reining inflation is its main priority.”

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He said while wholesale price inflation stood at 1.34 per cent in October,consumer price inflation for industrial workers (CPI-IW) was 11.49 in the same month.

However,inflation of 30 essential commodities was 17.91 per cent in wholesale prices index and 17.70 per cent inCPI-IW,he said.

These two rates of price rise are more or less same because both indices have same set of goods. The slight difference is due to weightage given to these commodities in these indices and seasonal variations.

In reply to a question,Minister of state for Finance S S Palanimanickam said the Finance Minister has not received any request from Maharashtra to waive excise duty on sugar and molasses in order to stabilise their prices during the current financial year.