Retail inflation moved closer to the double digit mark at 9.75 per cent in October, compared with 9.73 per cent in September, with a spurt in sugar, pulses, vegetables and clothing prices.
The indices are on base 2010=100, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office on Monday.
The highest price rise in October was seen in sugar, which rose by 19.61 per cent year-on-year, followed by edible oils and fat, which went up by 17.92 per cent, while pulses and cereals were costlier by 14.89 per cent.
Vegetable prices in the month saw a rise of 10.74 per cent, while meat, fish and egg rates increased by 12.18 per cent.
Clothing, bedding and footwear prices were also up 10.47 per cent year-on-year.
However, in urban areas, retail inflation moderated to 9.46 per cent in October, compared with 9.72 per cent in September. But, there was no respite in rural India, where inflation rose to 9.98 per cent in October, from 9.79 per cent in September.
“All India provisional General (all groups) CPI numbers of October 2012 for rural, urban and combined are 126.7, 122.6 and 124.9 respectively,” Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent charge) Srikant Kumar Jena said.
In its recent monetary policy review, the Reserve Bank of India had kept interest rates unchanged primarily because of the unabated rise in inflation.