New Delhi, June 15: Inflation continued to fall for the second consecutive week, going down by 0.21 per cent to 5.44 per cent for the week ended May 31 although manufactured items and food articles became costlier. Indicating increased cost of living, the general price line, measured by the wholesale price index (WPI), stood far lower at 1.93 per cent in the previous year period.
WPI, however, rose by 0.2 per cent to 172.5 points in the latest reported week even as prices of primary articles and fuels were stuck at the previous week's level. The index was 163.6 in the year-ago period.
The final WPI stood at 172.9 for the week ended April 5 as compared to the provisional level of 172.1, while the final point-to-point inflation was pegged at 6.66 per cent, against the provisional figure of 6.17 per cent.
Primary articles' group index stood firm at the previous week's level of 180.6 though food items became costlier while the prices of non-food articles fell. The index was 170.8 in the year-ago period.
The index for food articles' group was up by 0.1 per cent to 181 due to costlier fish-marine (four per cent), tea (three per cent) and ragi, moong and fruits (one per cent each). But prices fell for poultry chicken (two per cent) and vegetables, bajra and condiments and spices (one per cent each).
Fuel, power, light and lubricants' group index stood firm for the second consecutive week at 246.2 though global crude prices rose amidst reports that Opec oil cartel was mulling cut in production. The index was 230.4 in the year-ago period. Bureau Report