Consumer price inflation hit 6.73% in February

Consumer price inflation based on the consumer price index stood at 6.73 per cent in February 2014, compared to 7.24 per cent in the previous month and 12.06 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

Similarly, inflation based on food prices stood at 7.56 per cent against 8.94 per cent in the previous month and 14.98 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.

The all-India consumer price index for industrial workers (CPI-IW) increased by 1 point to 238. On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 0.42 per cent between January 2014 and February 2014 compared with a rise of 0.90 per cent between the same two months a year ago, data released by the ministry of labour and employment showed.

The biggest upward pressure to the change in current index came from the miscellaneous group contributing 0.34 percentage points to the total change.

At item level, rice, wheat, moong dal, fish, mutton, milk, ghee, medicine, barber charges etc are responsible for the increase in index.

However, this increase was restricted to some extent by arhar dal, groundnut oil, onion, vegetables and fruits, sugar etc putting downward pressure on the index.  

Centre wise, Quilon recorded the highest increase of 9 points each followed by Tiruchirapally and Conoor (6 points each) and Lucknow (5 points). Among others, 4 points rise was registered in 3 centres, 3 points in 2 centres, 2 points in 8 centres and 1 point in 10 centres.

On the contrary, Chhindwara reported a decline of 5 points followed by Rourkela and Ajmer (4 points each), while a 3 points decline was observed in 6 centres, 2 points in 10 centres and 1 point in 12 centres. Rest of the 20 centres' indices remained stationary.

The indices of 36 centres are above all-India index and indices of other 42 centres are below national average. The index of Bhilwara centre remained at par with all-India index.