The Hindu Business Line : Costlier primary items keep inflation rate unchanged

New Delhi April 27 The annual wholesale price index-based inflation rose 6.09 per cent during the week ended April 14, the same as the previous week annual rise levels. The year-on-year inflation rate was unchanged, mainly with primary article prices showing an upward trend during the latest reported week while the manufactured product and fuel group prices slipped.

Non-Veg items dearer

The wholesale prices index (WPI), on which inflation data is based, rose by 0.05 per cent at 210.9 points from 210.8 points the previous week, Government data released on Friday said. The annual inflation rate was 3.70 per cent during the corresponding week of the previous year.

During the latest reported week, the Primary Articles' group was up 12.36 per cent on a year-on-year basis, higher than the previous week's annual rise of 12.14 per cent. The Manufactured Product prices were up 5.64 per cent during the latest week, lower than the 5.76 per cent increase clocked during the previous week. The fuel, power, light and lubricants group was up 1.14 per cent during the latest week, lower than the previous week's 1.17 per cent.

Among the Primary Articles' group, prices of non-vegetarian food items, gram, groundnut oil, cottonseed oil and ferro silicon were up during the week. Prices of items including fruits and vegetables, urad, coconut oil, naphtha, brass sheets and strips fell during the week, while prices of other products in the Primary Articles' group moved in a narrow range.

Coconut oil cheaper

In the Manufactured Products' category, certain food products showed increase in prices — groundnut oil by four per cent, cotton seed oil by three per cent and imported edible oil and rice bran oil by two per cent each. Coconut oil, however, turned cheaper by four per cent. Products such as brass sheets and strips saw a 10 per cent fall in prices. However, prices of phenol rose by four per cent. Cement turned dearer by one per cent.

Final inflation figures for the week ended February 2 also stood unchanged at the same level as provisional figures at 6.05 per cent.

This is the first inflation data released after the RBI came out with its annual monetary policy, in which the Central Bank projected inflation to be 4-4.5 per cent in the medium term.