New Delhi: Inflation jumps to 6.10 per cent

New Delhi, Mar 9: The annual rate of inflation rose to 6.10 per cent for the week ended February 24, from 6.05 per cent in the previous week.

The annual inflation rate calculated on a point-to-point basis was 4.18 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said rising inflation is an issue of social concern and can be tackled only through increased supply of farm products.

''Supply-side is indeed a durable answer to inflation. More wheat, more rice, more sugar, more pulses and more oil seeds is the answer,'' he said here yesterday.

The index for Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 318.9 The index for Manufactured Products group rose by 0.4 per cent to 182.5 from 181.8 for the previous week. The index for Food Products group declined by 0.3 per cent to 183.7 from 184.2 for the previous week due to lower prices of rice bran oil (3 per cent) and khandsari and sugar (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of gingelly oil, gur and oil cakes (1 per cent) moved up.

The index for Textiles group declined by 0.1 per cent to 133.6 from 133.7 for the previous week due to lower prices of hessian and sacking bags (2 per cent).

However, the prices of tyre cord fabric (2 per cent) moved up.

The index for Chemicals and Chemicals Products group rose by 1.9 per cent to 197.2 from 193.6 for the previous week due to higher prices of capsules other than vitamin and antibiotics (24 per cent).

The index for Non-Metallic Mineral Products group rose by 0.3 per cent to 195.6 from 195.0 for the previous week due to higher prices of cement (+0.4 per cent).

The index for Basic Metal Alloys and Metal Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 240.9 from 240.7 for the previous week due to higher prices of steel wire (18 per cent), lead ingots (4 per cent), zinc ingots (3 per cent) and cast iron casting (1 per cent).

However, the prices of zinc (6 per cent) declined.

UNI