Higher food

New Delhi, Oct 29 (UNI) Despite the government's repeated claims of curtailing inflation below the five per cent mark, the annual rate of inflation for the week ended Ocober 14 climbed further to 5.26 per cent, owing to an increase in food and manufactured product prices.

The inflation rate calculated on a point-to-point basis, stood at 4.77 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, according to official figures released here.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had reiterated that, ''Inflation will be contained within 5 per cent.'' The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended October 14, 2006, rose by 0.1 per cent to 208.2 from 207.9 for the previous week.

The index for the Primary Articles group rose by 0.2 per cent to 212.4 from 211.9 for the previous week.

The index for Food Articles group rose by 0.2 per cent to 216.1 from 215.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of ragi and maize (2 per cent each) and eggs, fruits and vegetables and condiments and spices (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of jowar, bajra and barley (1 per cent each) declined.

The index for Non-Food Articles group rose by 0.4 per cent to 186.3 from 185.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of raw rubber and raw silk (3 per cent each), rape and mustard seed (2 per cent) and fodder, raw jute, groundnut seed and soyabean (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of gingelly seed (6 per cent) declined.

The index for the Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants group remained unchanged at it's previous week's level of 329.5.

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