Retail inflation for industrial workers eased marginally to 11.44 per cent in March, compared to 12.06 per cent in February, mainly due to lower prices of mustard oil, eggs, chicken, onion, potato and sugar.
“The year-on-year inflation measured by monthly Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers stood at 11.44 per cent for March as compared to 12.06 per cent for the previous month and 8.65 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year,” a Labour Ministry statement said.
“Similarly, the food inflation stood at 13.21 per cent (in March) against 14.98 per cent of the previous month and 8.16 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year”, it added.
The largest upward contribution to the change in CPI-IW came from the food group which increased by 0.84 per cent, contributing 0.82 percentage points to the total change.
That was followed by miscellaneous group with 0.53 per cent increase, contributing 0.26 percentage points to the change.
At item level, largest upward pressure came from rice, wheat, wheat flour, fish fresh, mutton, vegetables, apple, tea, firewood, medicine (Allopathic), private tuition fee, bus fare and petrol.
However, the surge was compensated by mustard oil, eggs, poultry (chicken), onion, potato and sugar putting downward pressure on the index.
According to the statement, All-India CPI-IW for March, 2013 rose by 1 point and pegged at 224.
At centre level, Salem recorded the largest increase of 7 points followed by Sholapur and Quilon (6 points each). A decline of 2 points was reported in Jharia, Chennai, Siliguri, Mariani-Jorhat, Asansol and Kodarma and 1 point in 10 centres.
Rest of the 19 centres’ indices remained stationary.
The indices of 34 centres are above All-India Index and other 43 centres’ indices are below national average. The index of Ajmer centre remained at par with all-India index.