Inflation jumps to 5.3%

Amid rise in price level for the second consecutive week, the inflation breached the 5% figure by 0.30% to 5.3% in the week ended March 5 despite cheaper fruits and vegetables.

The point-to-point wholesale price index (WPI) inflation rose from the previous week's level of 4.95% basically due to costlier manufactured products including edible oils. The price level stood at 4.79% in the previous year period.

The WPI rose by 0.1% to 188.9 points despite cheaper mass consumption primary articles, while fuel prices remained unchanged even as world oil prices touched 55 dollars a barrel. The index was 179.4 points in the year ago period.

Government revised upwards inflation to 5.77% during the week ended January 8 as against the provisional estimate of 5.6%.

The WPI stood corrected at 188.9 points during the second week week of January as compared to provisional figure of 188.6 points.