The annual rate of inflation declined marginally to 7.91 per cent during the week ending February 28 after remaining static at 7.99 per cent during the two previous weeks.
This is for the 100th week in succession that inflation has maintained single digit levels. It had got into the single digit figure in April 1995.
The prices level stood at 4.6 per cent during the corresponding period of the previous year.
The government had reined in on the inflation rate with the help of a tight monetary policy after it shot up to double digit levels in February 1995. It had fallen to 4.2 per cent during June.
Inflation has been maintaining a see-saw trend since the hike in petroleum prices during July last year, and touched a 63 week high during the week ending February 14.
The period between March 1995 and March 1996 saw the whole prices maintaining more or less a declining trend.
The annual inflation rate for the week ending December 28, 1996, based on final index calculated on a point-to-point basis stood at 7.81 per cent against 7.6 per cent for the week based on provisional index.
The the official Wholesale Price Index for all commodities (base 1981-82=100) for the week ending February 22 stood at 322 (provisional) as against 321.7 (provisional) for the previous week.
At this level, the index registered a rise of 0.1 per cent compared to the previous week.
