Inflation moves to 5.3 pc

New Delhi, Nov 19: The annual rate of inflation rose to 5.30 per cent for the week ended November 4 as against 5.09 per cent during the previous week, due to an increase in prices of food articles and manufactured products.

The inflation rate calculated on a point-to-point basis, stood at 4.04 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, according to official figures released here.

The Reserve Bank of India had said on Thursday easing of global crude oil prices should help ease inflation pressures, which is India's biggest import item.

''Although the absence of complete pass-through was a cause of concern from the future inflation point of view, the recent easing of international oil prices should provide the much needed relief,'' the central bank said in its annual Trend and Progress of Banking in India report.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended November 4 rose by 0.2 per cent to 208.8 from 208.4 for the previous week.

The index for the Primary Articles group rose by 0.4 per cent to 214.2 per cent from 213.3 for the previous week.

The index for Food Articles group rose by 0.5 per cent to 218.6 from 217.5 for the previous week due to higher prices of beef and buffalo meat (10 per cent), poultry chicken (6 per cent), eggs and fish-marine (3 per cent each), bajra (2 per cent) and milk, urad, wheat and gram (1 per cent each).

However, the prices moong and fruits and vegetables (2 per cent each) and arhar (1 per) declined.

The index for Non-Food Articles group rose by 0.3 per cent to 187.0 from 186.4 for the previous week due to higher prices of groundnut seed (2 per cent) and rape and mustard seed and gingelly seed (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of niger seed and raw wool (1 per cent each) declined.

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 0.2 per cent to 180.0 from 179.7 for the previous week. The index for Food Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 182.8 from 182.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of bran (all kinds) (5 per cent), skimmed milk powder and oil cakes (3 per cent each), rice bran oil (2 per cent) and sunflower oil, rape and mustard oil, imported edible oil and groundnut oil (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of sugar (2 per cent) declined.

The index for Textiles group rose by 0.4 per cent to 134.7 from for the previous week due to higher prices of viscose staple fibre (4 per cent), hessian and sacking bags (3 per cent) and hessian cloth (2 per cent).

The index for Chemicals and Chemical Products group rose by 0.2 per cent to 193.1 from 192.8 for the previous week due to higher prices of bopp film (3 per cent) and tablets except vitamin and pencillin and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) (1 per cent each).

The index for Basic Metal Alloys and Metal Products group rose by 0.2 per cent to 237.5 from 237.1 for the previous week due to higher prices of forging and zinc (5 per cent each), zinc ingots and lead ingots (3 per cent each), other iron steel and ms bars and rounds (2 per cent each) and steel sheets, plates and strips (1 per cent).

However, the prices of basic pig iron and foundry pig iron (1 per cent each) declined.

The index for Machinery and Machine Tools group rose by 0.1 per cent to 155.8 from 155.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of roller bearings (10 per cent) and power driven pumps (1 per cent).

UNI