Inflation swells to 5.45 pc

New Delhi, Dec 1 (UNI) The annual rate of inflation rose to 5.45 per cent for the week ended November 18 from 5.29 per cent during the previous week, due to higher manufactured product and mineral prices.

The inflation rate calculated on a point-to-point basis, stood at 4.27 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, according to official figures released here today.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram yesterday expressed his concern about 'slightly higher than expected inflation'. He said the government's tolerance level for inflation is below 4 per cent.

In a move to bring down the headline annual inflation rate, the government on Wedenesday announced a 4.25 per cent and 3 per cent cut on retail prices of petrol and diesel respectively on account of lower prices of crude oil in international markets.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended November 18, declined by 0.05 per cent to 208.8 from 208.9 for the previous week.

The index for the Primary Articles group declined by 0.5 per cent to 213.4 from 214.5 for the previous week.

The index for Food Articles group declined by 0.8 per cent to 216.7 from 218.5 for the previous week due to lower prices of jowar (5 per cent), fruits and vegetables (4 per cent), urad (3 per cent) and fish-marine and arhar (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of maize (4 per cent), wheat, bajra and gram (2 per cent each) and condiments and spices, barley and masur (1 per cent each) moved up.

The index for Non-Food Articles group declined by 0.1 per cent to 188.3 from 188.4 for the previous week due to lower prices of raw silk and raw rubber (4 per cent each), raw tobacco (2 per cent) and gingelly seed and raw cotton (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of niger seed (6 per cent), soyabean (3 per cent), rape and mustard seed and castor seed (2 per cent each) and safflower (kardi seed) (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for Minerals group rose by 1.7 per cent to 426.9 from 419.7 for the previuos week due to higher prices of steatite (27 per cent) and iron ore (2 per cent).

However, the prices of fire clay (31 per cent) and magnesite (2 per cent) declined.

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