Inflation comes down to 5.95 per cent

New Delhi, Jan 28: The annual rate of inflation came down to 5.95 per cent for the week ended January 13 from a two-year high of 6.12 per cent last week, on account of decline in prices of some food articles.

The government has introduced a customs duty cut on a number of items including edible oils to contain the inflation rate below six per cent.

The inflation rate, calculated on a point-to-point basis, stood at 4.19 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

Even though inflation this time fell compared to the previous week, it was still higher than RBI's projection of of 5-5.5 per cent for this fiscal.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended January 13, rose by 0.05 per cent to 208.3 from 208.2 for the previous week.

The index for the Primary Articles group rose by 0.05 per cent to 213.2 from 213.1 for the previous week.

The index for Food Articles group declined by 0.4 per cent to 213.8 from 214.7 for the previous week due to lower prices of urad (3 per cent), fruits and vegetables and bajra (2 per cent each) and arhar and gram (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of barley, moong, condiments and spices and fish-marine (1 per cent each) moved up.

The index for non-food articles group rose by 1.4 per cent to 194.4 from 191.8 for the previous week due to higher prices of raw rubber (8 per cent), raw silk and groundnut seed (4 per cent each), linseed and raw cotton (2 per cent each) and niger seed, rape and mustard seed and sunflower (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of gingelly seed (1 per cent) declined.

The index for Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 322.3 The index for the Manufactured Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 181.2 from 181.1 for the previous week. The index for Food Products group declined by 0.5 per cent to 183.6 from 184.6 for the previous week due to lower prices of rice bran oil (4 per cent) and oil cakes, gur, sugar and imported edible oil (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of unrefined oil (2 per cent) moved up.

The index for 'Beverages Tobacco and Tobacco Products' group rose by 1.2 per cent to 249.4 from 246.5 for the previous week due to higher prices of cigarettes (3 per cent).

The index for Textiles group rose by 0.2 per cent to 133.2 from 133.0 for the previous week due to higher prices of hessian and sacking bags and hessian cloth (2 per cent each).

The index for Paper and Paper Products group declined by 0.3 per cent to 192.9 from 193.4 for the previous week due to lower prices of other boards (all kinds) (3 per cent) and mg poster paper (2 per cent).

The index for Chemicals and Chemical Products group rose by 0.4 per cent to 194.3 from 193.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of epoxy resins (44 per cent), benzene (11 per cent), phenol (5 per cent), pvc resins (2 per cent) and blasting powder (1 per cent).

However, the prices of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) (2 per cent) declined.

The index for Non-Metallic Mineral Products group declined by 0.1 per cent to 192.3 from 192.5 for the previous week due to marginal fall in the prices of Cement.

The index for Basic Metal Alloys and Metal Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 240.1 from 239.8 for the previous week due to higher prices of aluminium extrusion (7 per cent), aluminium ingots (6 per cent), other aluminium material (3 per cent) and aluminium rolled products (2 per cent).

However, the prices of narrow cr steel strips (10 per cent), zinc ingots (5 per cent), cr sheets (3 per cent) and lead ingots (2 per cent) declined.

The index for Machinery and Machine Tools group rose by 0.2 per cent to 159.5 from 159.2 for the previous week due to higher prices of electric motors (6 per cent), dry cell (5 per cent), electronic ic's (3 per cent) and semi conductors (2 per cent).

The index for 'Transport Equipment and Parts' group rose by 0.1 per cent to 163.4 from 163.2 for the previous week due to higher prices of car chassis (assembled) (1 per cent).

UNI