Inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) dropped to a five-year low of 3.07% for the week ended October 6 when compared with 3.26% in the previous week, mainly due to the decline in prices of essential items like fruits and vegetables, eggs, cereals and some manufactured goods. The inflation was at 5.36% during the corresponding week of the previous year. While prices of fruits and vegetables declined 4%, prices of eggs and fish dropped marginally (1%), while bajra and maize prices declined 2% each. The price of furnace oil zoomed 46% followed by aviation turbine fuel, which rose 5%. The government revised the inflation rate for the week ended 11 August to 4.24% from the earlier reported figure of 4.10%. |