Inflation menace is not showing any remarkable sign of slowing down and despite the Reserve Bank of India’s tuff stand, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) even though moderated slightly but stood near the double digit mark for the month of September.
The provisional annual inflation rate compiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, based on all India general CPI (Combined) for September 2012, on point to point basis stood at 9.73%, as compared to 10.03% (final) for the previous month of August 2012. The corresponding provisional inflation rates for rural and urban areas for September 2012 were 9.79% and 9.72% respectively as against (final) 9.90% and 10.19% respectively for rural and urban areas for August 2012.
CPI for September, however, did not fully capture the impact of hike in diesel price but as per the ministry’s data, higher prices of sugar, edible oils, vegetables and pulses contributed the most. CPI for edible oils increased by 18.54%, pulses by 16.2% and vegetable grew by 14.3%, while meat, fish and egg rates rose by 12.06%. In non food items, clothing, bedding, footwear became 10.32% more expensive on an annual basis, while fuel and light went up by 7.29 percent in September compared to same month last year.