Inflation rises to 4.89 per cent

New Delhi, Mar 2: The headline inflation rate for the week ended February 16 rose to 4.89 per cent, compared to its previous week's level of 4.35 per cent. The annual inflation rate was 6.05 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 February 16, rose by 0.3 per cent to 218.8 (Provisional) from 218.1 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for 'Primary Articles' rose by 0.1 per cent to 225.3 (Provisional) from 225.0 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for 'Food Articles' group declined by 0.2 per cent to 221.2 (Provisional) from 221.6 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of fruits and vegetables, wheat, maize and urad (one per cent each).

However, the prices of gram (three per cent), jowar (two per cent) and moong, rice, barley and ragi (one per cent each) moved up.

The index for 'Non-Food Articles' group rose by 1.1 per cent to 219.3 (Provisional) from 217.0 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of niger seed (38 per cent), gingelly seed (16 per cent), soyabean (four per cent) and groundnut seed (one per cent).

The index for 'Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants' group rose by 0.9 per cent to 336.9 (Provisional) from 334.0 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of bitumen (six per cent), petrol (five per cent) and high speed diesel oil and light diesel oil (three per cent each).

However, the prices of furnace oil (two per cent) declined.
The index for 'Manufactured Products' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 190.2 (Provisional) from 189.9 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for 'Food Products' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 196.2 (Provisional) from 196.0 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of gingelly oil (three per cent) and khandsari, groundnut oil, gur and cotton seed oil (one per cent each).

However, the prices of ghee (one per cent) declined.

The index for 'Textiles' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 127.6 (Provisional) from 127.7 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of tyre cord fabric (11 per cent) and hessian and sacking bags (three per cent).

The index for 'Rubber and Plastic Products' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 163.6 (Provisional) from 163.5 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of giant tubes (five per cent).

The index for 'Chemicals and Chemical Products' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 208.7 (Provisional) from 208.4 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of soda ash (sodium carbonate) (eight per cent).

However, the prices of ampicillin trihydrate (15 per cent) declined.

The index for 'Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group declined by 0.05 per cent to 211.4 (Provisional) from 211.5 (Provisional) for the previous week due to marginal fall in the prices of cement.

The index for 'Basic Metals Alloys and Metal Products' group rose by 0.7 per cent to 250.6 (Provisional) from 248.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of narrow cr steel strips (15 per cent), other iron steel (seven per cent), basic pig iron, foundary pig iron and lead ingots (six per cent each) and cr sheets ans ms bars and rounds (three per cent each).

UNI