Inflation slips to 6.05 per cent

New Delhi, Mar 2 (UNI) The annual rate of inflation came sharply down to 6.05 per cent for the week ended February 17, from its previous week high of 6.63 per cent due to a fall in fuel and food prices.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram has asked the industry to hold the price line saying that the headline inflation rate could be moderated only through removing supply side constraints, rather than hiking prices of goods and services.

''I urge you (industry) to cooperate with the government in fighting inflation,'' he said here yesterday.

The annual inflation rate calculated on a point-to-point basis was 4.13 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

UNI