Inflation up to 5.12% on dearer food

The increase was due to costlier vegetables and fruits, eggs, food products, edible oils, textiles and electricity. The inflation rate is substantially higher than the year-ago level of 3.39 per cent.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rose 0.2 per cent to 176.5 compared with 176.1 in the previous week because of the increase in the price indices of all the major groups -- primary articles, fuels and manufactured products.

The index was 167.9 last year. According to an official release, the rate of inflation for the week ended September 20 has been revised upward to 5.02 per cent as against the provisional figure of 4.72 per cent.

The final WPI for the week has been pegged at 175.6, marginally higher than the earlier figure of 175.1. The primary articles' group index rose 0.1 per cent to 183.7 during the latest reported week against 177.1 in the previous year due to costlier non-food articles and minerals.

Food articles price index for the week remained unchanged even though prices went up for arhar (4 per cent), maize (2 per cent), fruits and vegetables, eggs and pork (1 per cent each).

This was because prices dipped for tea (5 per cent)and moong and fish-marine (2 per cent each), bajra, ragi, masur and condiments and spices (1 per cent each).