New Delhi: Inflation eases down to 6.39 pc

New Delhi, Apr 8: The annual rate of inflation came down to 6.39 per cent for the week ended March 24, after remaining unchanged for the previous two weeks at 6.46 per cent due to a decrease in prices of some food items.

The headline inflation calculated on a point-to-point basis stood at 4.06 per cent during the corresponding week a year ago, official data showed here.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram last week said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should take steps necessary to moderate inflation without affecting growth.

Inflation as measured by the wholesale price index is running at 6.5 per cent annually and the central bank has raised rates, as well as tightened cash availability in the system, to bring it down.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended March 24, rose by 0.2 per cent to 209.8 from 209.4 for the previous week.

The index for the Primary Articles group rose by 0.5 per cent 215.3 from 214.2 for the previous week.

The index for Food Articles group declined marginally to 214.3 from 214.4 for the previous week due to lower prices of tea (4 per cent), barley (3 per cent) and fruits and vegetables (1 per cent).

However, the prices of urad (4 per cent) and gram, masur, fish-inland and condiments and spices (1 per cent each) moved up.

The index for Non-Food Articles group rose by 2.2 per cent to 201.8 from 197.5 for the previous week due to higher prices of raw cotton (13 per cent), castor seed (6 per cent), sunflower (5 per cent), niger seed and raw tobacco (3 per cent each) and soybean and raw rubber (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of raw silk (3 per cent), groundnut seed (2 per cent) and raw jute (1 per cent) declined.

The index for Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 319.5. The index for Manufactured Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 183.4 from 183.2 for the previous week. The index for Food Products group rose by 0.3 per cent to 186.7 from 186.1 for the previous week due to higher prices of oil cakes (3 per cent) and gingelly oil and imported edible oil (1 per cent each).

However, the prices of groundnut oil and khandsari (1 per cent) declined.

The index for Textiles group rose by 0.3 per cent to 133.2 from 132.8 for the previous week due to higher prices of hessian cloth (14 per cent).

However, the prices of tyre cord (10 per cent) declined.

The index for Paper and Paper Products group declined by 0.1 per cent to 192.6 from 192.8 for the previous week due to lower prices of kraft paper (1 per cent).

The index for Chemicals and Chemicals Products group rose by 0.1 per cent to 197.3 from 197.2 for the previous week due to higher prices of acid (all kinds) (2 per cent) and calcium ammonium nitrate n-content (1 per cent).

The index for Basic Alloys and Metal Products group declined marginally to 241.8 from 241.9 for the previous week due to lower prices of zinc and zinc ingots (2 per cent each).

The index for Machinery and Machine Tools group rose by 0.1 per cent to 161.9 from 161.8 for the previous week due to higher prices of cranes and boilers, its parts and accessories (2 per cent each).

UNI