New Delhi: Wholesale price index-based inflation eased to 6.05 per cent during the week ended February 17, from 6.63 per cent in the previous week. The easing is attributed to the cut in prices of petrol and diesel, essential food products and some manufactured goods.

This is the second eek in a row that inflation has declined, though it is still above the range of 5 per cent to 5.5 per cent the centre wants to peg it at. In the same period last year, inflation stood at 4.13 per cent.

The direct effect of the cut in fuel prices has resulted in the category of fuel, power, light and lubricants, which has a 14.23-per cent weightage in the overall inflation index, declined by 0.6 per cent due to the lower prices of petrol, which declined by four per cent. Mineral oil among fuel items also fell and so did some manufactured items like zinc.

Among other products in the group, prices of the high-speed diesel and light diesel oil declined by three per cent each and bitumen prices went down by two per cent. However, prices of furnace oil went up by nine per cent and naphtha by one per cent.

Among food products, vegetable, fruits, pulses, sugar, khandsari, 'gur', edible oils, egg, meat and fish declined. Prices of the fish marine and gram became cheaper by four per cent and fish inland by three per cent.

However, poultry and chicken became costlier by 14 per cent. Arhar got costlier by one per cent followed by higher prices of barley maize and wheat by one per cent each.

Among the non-food articles, mesta got cheaper by three per cent and prices of raw cotton, raw jute and copra declined by one per cent each.

Minerals like fluorite got cheaper by 48 per cent, fire clay dipped by 29 per cent. Prices of steatite, Magnesite, feldspar moved down by 20 per cent, 13 per cent and 4 per cent respectively.

However, prices of phosphorite moved up by 25 per cent.

The budgetary proposals outlined by the finance minister this Wednesday had focused on moderating growth while maintaining price stability.