Rise in food prices pushes inflation to 5.41 pc

New Delhi, Nov 5: The upward trend of inflation continued with the annual rate of inflation reported at 5.41 per cent for the week ended Ocober 21, higher than 5.26 per cent during the previous week owing to higher food items and manufactured product prices.

The inflation rate calculated on a point-to-point basis, stood at 4.49 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, according to official figures released here.

Earlier, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had expressed concern about inflation, saying rising prices were the ''most worrying signal'' in an economy.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended October 21, 2006, rose by 0.1 per cent to 208.4 from 208.2 for the previous week.

The index for the Primary Articles group rose by 0.2 per cent to 212.9 from 212.4 for the previous week.

The index for Food Articles group rose by 0.5 per cent to 217.1 from 216.1 for the previous week due to higher prices of urad (4 per cent), fruits and vegetables (2 per cent) and gram, eggs, moong and wheat (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of jowar and condiments and spices (1 per cent each) declined.

The index for Non-Food Articles group declined by 0.1 per cent to 186.1 from 186.3 for the previous week due to lower prices of gingelly seed (3 per cent), cotton seed (2 per cent) and raw cotton and groundnut seed (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of raw rubber (6 per cent) and castor seed (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for the Minerals group declined by 1.5 per cent to 419.7 from 426.2 for the previous week due to lower prices of iron ore (2 per cent).

However, the prices of fire clay (13 per cent), stealite (4 per cent) and kaolin (chian clay) (2 per cent) moved up.

The index for the Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants group remained unchanged at the previous week's level of 329.5. The index for the Manufactured Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 179.8 from 179.7 for the previous week. The index for Food Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 182.5 from 182.3 for the previous week due to higher prices of coconut oil, oil cakes and imported edible oil (1 per cent each).

The index for Beverages Tobacco and Tobacco Products group declined by 0.1 per cent to 242.5 from 242.7 for the previous week due to marginal fall in the prices of Indian made foreign spirit.

The index for Textiles group declined by 0.1 per cent to 134.1 from 134.2 for the previous week due to lower prices of hessian cloth (1 per cent each).

The index for Paper and Paper Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 191.9 from 191.7 for the previous week due to highher prices of news paper (1 per cent).

The index for Chemicals and Chemical Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 193.7 from 193.5 for the previous week due to higher prices of ammonium sulphate content (6 per cent) and methanol (2 per cent).

However, the prices of acid (all kinds) (2 per cent) and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) (1 per cent) declined.

The index for Non-Metallic Mineral products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 191.2 from 191.0 for the previous week due to increase in the prices of cement (0.2 per cent).

The index for Basic Metal Alloys and Metal Products group rose by 0.2 per cent to 237.0 from 236.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of zinc ingots (3 per cent), foundary pig iron and lead ingots (2 per cent each) and other iron steel (1 per cent).

However, the prices of ms bars and rounds (1 per cent) declined.

The index for Machinery and Machine Tools group rose by 0.1 per cent to 155.3 from 155.1 for the previous week due to higher prices of other pumps (4 per cent) and complete tractors (1 per cent).

UNI

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