Inflation eases to 57-week low at 4.28 %

New Delhi, June 22 (UNI) The headline inflation rate receded to its 57-week low of 4.28 per cent during the week ended June 9 following a decline in prices of food items. It was 4.80 per cent a week ago.

The annual inflation rate was at 5.29 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, an official statement said here today.

Addressing mediapersons after the CCEA meeting yesterday, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the Government is still ''grappling'' with inflation.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities for the week ended June 9, 2007 declined by 0.05 per cent to 211.8 from 211.9 for the previous week.

The index for Primary Food Articles declined by 0.1 to 220.1 from 220.4 for the previous week.

The index for the Food Articles group declined by 0.3 per cent to 219.6 (Provisional) from 220.3 for the previous week due to lower prices of moong, fish- marine (two per cent each) and gram, wheat, maize and fruits and vegetables (one per cent each).

However, the prices of condiments and spices (one per cent) moved up.

The index for Non-Food Articles group rose by 0.3 per cent to 205.5 (Provisional) from 204.9 for the previous week due to higher prices of sunflower, cotton seed, raw cotton, groundnut seed and soyabean (one per cent each).

However, the prices of niger seed (three per cent) and gingelly seed, copra and castor seed (one per cent each) declined.

MORE UNI