Consumer price inflation under new series almost unchanged in March

Consumer price inflation in India under the revised all-India series remained almost unchanged in March 2011, compared to the previous month's level - for both rural and urban areas and the two combined.

The consolidated consumer price index for rural and urban areas under the revised series (with base 2010=100) stood at 106 points while the indices for the rural and urban areas stood at 107 and 104, respectively, an official release said today.

The Central Statistical Office today released the provisional indices of consumer prices for March 2011 as also the final indices for January 2011.

The new series is based on the consumer price index numbers in the general (all groups), group and sub-group levels of March 2011 for rural, urban and combined.

The CSO will release the annual inflation rate at the time along with the indices for January 2012, when indices for a full year will be available, the release said.

The CSO introduced the new series of consumer price indices (CPI) separately for all-India and states/union territories for rural, urban and combined beginning January 2011.

At the all-India (rural plus urban) level, the index for 'milk and products' for March 2011 was higher by 1.9 per cent as compared to the corresponding index for February 2011 and the index for 'egg, fish and meat' was also higher by a similar percentage. The index for 'vegetables' declined by 6.6 per cent while the index for 'fruits' rose 3.5 per cent.