New Delhi, Sept 14: Inflation rate inched up marginally to 3.88 per cent during the week ended August 30, 2003, mainly due to rise in prices of fuel and manufactured products. Fall in the prices of fruits and vegetables, tea, paper, non-metallic mineral, machinery and machine tools failed to lower the price level further in the week ended August 30 from the fiscal's lowest so far at 3.7 per cent in the previous week.
The inflation rate of 3.88 per cent was higher than 3.52 per cent a year ago. Whole-sale price index, based on all commodities, rose by 0.2 per cent to 174 points during the week from 173.6 in the previous week, as prices of fuel rose by 0.8 per cent while manufactured products were cheaper by 0.3 per cent.
The final WPI remained unaltered at its provisional value of 173.7, while the final inflation rate was at 5.15 per cent as on week ended July 5. Primary articles index dipped 0.5 per cent to 178.1 from 179 mainly due to 0.7 per cent fall in prices of food items although non-food items were costlier by 0.2 per cent.
Fruit and vegetables and tea were cheaper by 4.0 per cent each, while non-food articles prices were up by 0.2 per cent to 182.3 from 182 in the previous week.
Manufactured products group index rose to 155.7 from 155.3 mainly due to rise in prices of food products, textiles and basic metals. Bureau Report