Inflation dips to 3.45 per cent

New Delhi, Dec 30: Inflation rate for the week ended December 15 declined to 3.45 per cent as against 3.65 per cent last week.

The annual inflation rate was 5.73 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, an official statement said. The wholesale price index for 'All Commodities' for the week ended December 15 declined by 0.1 per cent to 215.6 (Provisional) from 215.9 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for 'Primary Articles' declined by 0.2 per cent to 222.7 (Provisional) from 223.2 (Provisional) for the previous week.

The index for 'Food Articles' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 221.3 (Provisional) from 221.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of bajra (three per cent) and fruits and vegetables (two per cent).

However, the prices of poultry chicken (two per cent) and urad and condiments and spices (one per cent each) moved up.

The index for 'Non-Food Articles' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 210.3 (Provisional) from 210.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices raw wool (six per cent), raw rubber (two per cent) and raw cotton and copra (one per cent each).

However, the price of raw jute (one per cent) moved up.

The index for 'Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants' group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 328.6 (Provisional).

The index for 'Manufactured Products' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 187.9 (Provisional) from 188.3 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for 'Food Products' group rose by 0.3 per cent to 192.3 (Provisional) from 191.7 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of malted food (three per cent), oil cakes (two per cent) and gingelly oil, khandsari, imported edible and groundnut oil (one per cent each).

However, the price of rice bran oil (three per cent) declined.

The index for 'Beverages, Tobacco and Tobacco Products' group rosed by 3.3 per cent to 273.8 (Provisional) from 265.1 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of cigarettes (eight per cent) and potable country liquor (six per cent).

The index for 'Textiles' group declined by 3.0 per cent to 128.4 (Provisional) from 132.4 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of cotton yarn-cones (nine per cent), cotton yarn-hanks (seven per cent) and other cotton yarn (three per cent).

However, the prices of tyre cord fabric (one per cent) moved up.

The index for 'Chemicals and Chemical Products' group declined by 0.05 per cent to 204.7 (Provisional) from 204.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower price of bopp film (two per cent).

The index for 'Basic Metal Alloys and Metal Products' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 247.2 (Provisional) from 247.4 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of lead ingots (five per cent) and zinc ingots, foundry pig iron, steel sheets, plates and stripes and basic pig iron (one per cent each).

However, the prices of iron and steel and ms bars and rounds (one per cent) moved up.

The index for 'Transport Equipment and Parts' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 166.0 (Provisional) from 165.7 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of other automobiles spare parts (two per cent) and bicycles (one per cent). UNI