Inflation rises to 5.11 per cent

New Delhi, Mar 14: The headline inflation rate for the week ended March 1 rose to 5.11 per cent, compared to its previous week's level of 5.02 per cent. The annual inflation rate was 6.51 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, an official statement said.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said the government remains committed to curbing inflation. The wholesale price index for 'All Commodities' for the week ended March 1, rose by 0.2 per cent to 220.0 (Provisional) from 219.5 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for 'Primary Articles' rose by 0.3 per cent to 229.0 (Provisional) from 228.4 (Provisional) for the previous week.

The index for 'Food Articles' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 224.7 (Provisional) from 224.9 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of fish-marine (eight per cent) and eggs (three per cent). However, the prices of gram, mutton, barley and masur (two per cent) and bajra and condiments and spices (one per cent each) moved up.

The index for 'Non-Food Articles' group rose by 1.2 per cent to 223.7 (Provisional) from 221.0 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of raw rubber and rape and mustard seed (five per cent each), raw tobacco (three per cent), gingelly seed, copra and groundnut seed (two per cent each) and skins (raw) and raw cotton (one per cent each).

The index for 'Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 337.1 (Provisional) from 336.9 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of avition turbine fuel (six per cent).

The index for 'Manufactured Products' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 190.7 (Provisional) from 190.3 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for 'Food Products' group rose by 0.6 per cent to 198.0 (Provisional) from 196.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of rape and mustard oil (eight per cent), imported edible oil (six per cent), khandsari and rice bran oil (three per cent), gingelly oil and salt (two per cent each) and ghee and groundnut oil (one per cent each).

However, the prices of gur (two per cent) declined.

The index for 'Beverages, Tobacco and Tobacco Products' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 274.0 (Provisional) from 273.8 (Provisional) for the previous weeek due to higher prices of scented chewing tobaco (two per cent).

The index for 'Textiles' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 128.3 (Provisional) from 128.1 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of hessian cloth (three per cent) and hessian and sacking bags (two per cent).

The index for 'Paper and Paper Products' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 195.1 (Provisional) from 194.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of printing paper white and newsprint (one per cent each).

The index for 'Chemicals and Chemical Products' group declined by 0.1 per cent to 208.7 (Provisional) from 208.9 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of phenol (eight per cent), liquid chlorine (two per cent) and methanol (one per cent).

The index for 'Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 211.9 (Provisional) from 211.4 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of building bricks (six per cent) and ceramic tiles (three per cent).

The index for 'Basic Metals Alloys and Metal Products' group rose by 0.4 per cent to 250.7 (Provisional) from 249.6 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of steel wire (10 per cent), other iron steel, ms bars and rounds, zinc ingots and steel wire ropes (four per cent), steel sheets, plates and strips and lead ingots (three per cent each) and foundary pig iron and basic pig iron (two per cent each).

The index for 'Machinery and Machine Tools' group rose by 0.2 per cent to 168.2 (Provisional) from 167.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of hydraulic machine (eight per cent) and jelly filled telephone cables (five per cent).

UNI