The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation rose for the fourth month in a row, government data revealed today.
Inflation was 6.1 per cent in August and 5.85 per cent (revised upward from 5.79 per cent) in July. In September last year, it was 8.07 per cent.
The sharpest increase was in onion prices which jumped by 322.94 per cent in September, over the same month last year.
Fruits too were costlier by 13.54 per cent year-on-year during September.
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Overall, the food inflation increased at higher rate in September at 18.40 per cent as compared to the previous month. Inflation in this segment was 18.18 per cent in August.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that if inflation is higher than 6 per cent it is high and at an "uncomfortable" level. However, he expressed confidence that it would ease in the coming months.
Food Minister K V Thomas said cost of production has increased due to NREGA wages, besides higher MSP.
The August IIP data, a key economic indicator, showed that industrial output expanded by meagre 0.6 per cent.
The data further revealed that there was decline in prices of egg, meat, fish, beverages, tobacco, cereals, rice and wheat in the month under review over August.
The inflation in the manufactured items segment was 2.03 in September year-on-year.