Index Number of Whole Sale Prices India,As on Week Ended on Aug-26, 2006

 

(As on Week Ended on Aug-26, 2006)

As to statistics, the official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week ended 26th August 2006 rose by 0.1 percent to 205.3 (Provisional).

The annual rate of inflation stood at 5.01 percent (Provisional) for the week ended 26/08/2006 (over 27/08/2005) as compared to 4.91 percent (Provisional) for the previous week. The annual rate of inflation stood at 3.33 percent as on 27/08/2005 i.e. a year ago.

The movement of the index for the various commodity groups is summarized below: –

1. PRIMARY ARTICLES (Weight 22.02%)

The index for this major group rose by 0.3 percent to 205.7 (Provisional) from 205.0 (Provisional) for the previous week. The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the week are as follows: –

The index for ‘Food Articles’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 207.0 (Provisional) from 206.2 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of bajra and gram (4% each), maize and wheat (3% each), arhar (2%) and fruits & vegetables and jowar (1% each). However, the prices of fish-inland (6%), moong (2%) and urad (1%) declined.

The index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 186.7 (Provisional) from 185.9 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of niger seed (9%), raw silk (3%), raw cotton (2%) and castor seed, cotton seed, linseed, groundnut seed, gingelly seed and copra (1% each). However, the prices of raw rubber (2%) declined.

2. FUEL, POWER, LIGHT & LUBRICANTS (Weight 14.23%)

The index for this major group remained unchanged at its previous week’s level of 328.3 (Provisional).

3. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 63.75%)

The index for this major group remained unchanged at its previous week’s level of 177.7 (Provisional). The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the week are as follows: –
The index for ‘Food Products’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 180.4 (Provisional) from 180.3 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of salt (2%) and oil cakes and groundnut oil (1% each). However, the prices of rice bran oil, imported edible oil and cattle feed (1% each) declined.

The index for ‘Textiles’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 131.5 (Provisional) from 131.4 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of hessian & sacking bags and hessian cloth (2% each).

The index for ‘Paper & Paper Products’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 189.2 (Provisional) from 189.1 (Provisional) for the previous week due to marginal rise in the prices of Printing Paper White and Newsprint.

The index for ‘Rubber & Plastic Products’ group rose by 0.3 percent to 145.1 (Provisional) from 144.7 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of cycle tyres and decorative laminates (3% each).

The index for ‘Chemicals & Chemical Products’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 195.7 (Provisional) from 195.6 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of purified terephthalic acid (pta) (11%), p.v.c. resins (5%) and synthetic rubber (2%). However, the prices of benzene and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) (1% each) declined.

The index for ‘Non-Metallic Mineral Products’ group declined by 0.2 percent to 188.5 (Provisional) from 188.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to marginal fall in the prices of Cement.

The index for ‘Basic Metals Alloys & Metal Products’ group rose marginally to 232.3 (Provisional) from 232.2 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of alloy steel casting (6%) and zinc ingots (1%).

4. FINAL INDEX FOR THE WEEK ENDED 1st July 2006

For the week ended 01/07/2006, the final wholesale price index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 1993-94=100) stood at 203.8 as against 203.3 (Provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index, calculated on point to point basis, stood at 5.21 percent as compared to 4.96 percent (Provisional) respectively reported earlier vide press note dated 14/07/2006.

Sources: PIB Press Releases.