Inflation rises to 4.13 pc as food prices hiked

New Delhi, July 6: The headline inflation rate increased to 4.13 per cent during the week ended June 23, due to a rise in food and mineral prices It was 4.03 per cent a week ago and managed to stay below five per cent for the fourth consecutive week.

The annual inflation rate was 4.84 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year, an official statement said here today.

''I certainly feel the fear of overheating is behind us,'' Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said earlier this week.

''The rate of inflation has been steadily coming down in each of the past five weeks. I would definitely say that we have entered the comfort zone as far as inflation is concerned,'' he added.

The index for fuel, power, light and lubricants group remained unchanged at its previous week's level of 322.0 (Provisional). The index for manufactured products rose by 0.1 per cent to 184.4 (Provisional) from 184.3 (Provisional) for the previous week. The index for Food Products group declined by 0.3 per cent to 183.2 (Provisional) from 182.6 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of skimmed milk powder (five per cent), oil cakes (two per cent) and groundnut oil and rice bran oil (one per cent each).

However, the prices of gingelly oil and khandsari (one per cent each) declined.

The index for Beverages Tobacco and Tobacco Products group rose marginally to 260.9 (Provisional) from 260.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of scented chewing tobacco (one per cent).

The index for Textiles group declined by 0.1 per cent to 131.8 (Provisional) from 131.9 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of hessian cloth (one per cent).

The index for Chemicals and Chemicals Products group declined marginally to to 200.3 (Provisional) from 200.4 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of epoxy resins (eight per cent).

The index for Non-Metallic Products group rose by 0.3 per cent to 205.6 (Provisional) from 204.9 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of cement (one per cent).

The index for Basic Metals Alloys and Metal Products group rose marginally to 244.7 (Provisional) from 244.6 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of lead ingots (four per cent).

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

The index for Paper and Paper Products group rose by 0.2 per cent to 193.1 (Provisional) from 192.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of map litho paper (two per cent).

UNI