The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, New Delhi


The official Wholesale Price Index for ''All Commodities'' (Base: 1993-94 = 100) for the week ended 6th June 2009 rose by 0.04 percent to 232.7 (Provisional) from 232.6 (Provisional) for the previous week.

The annual rate of inflation, calculated on point to point basis, stood at -1.61 percent (Provisional) for the week ended 06/06/2009 (over 07/06/2008) as compared to 0.13 percent (Provisional) for the previous week (ended 30/05/2009) and 11.66 percent during the corresponding week (ended 07/06/2008) of the previous year.

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

PRIMARY ARTICLES (Weight 22.02%)

The index for this major group declined by 0.7 percent to 256.0 (Provisional) from 257.7 (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 declined by 1.2 percent to 250.8 (Provisional) from 253.9 (Provisional) for the previous week due to lower prices of fruits & vegetables (7%), fish-marine (2%) and urad and gram (1% each). However, the prices of arhar (7%), jowar and eggs (3% each), masur and maize (2% each) and moong, mutton, ragi, condiments & spices and bajra (1% each) moved up.

The index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group rose by 0.7 percent to 235.9 (Provisional) from 234.3 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of soyabean (11%) and raw rubber and gingelly seed (1% each). However, the prices of copra (2%) and castor seed, raw silk and groundnut seed (1% each) declined.

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

The index for this major group rose by 0.7 percent to 326.2 (Provisional) from 324.0 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of furnace oil and naphtha (7% each) and light diesel oil (4%). However, the prices of bitumen (3%) declined.

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 63.75%)

The index for this major group rose by 0.1 percent to 203.8 (Provisional) from 203.5 (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 Products'' group rose by 0.4 percent to 233.8 (Provisional) from 232.8 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of salt (10%) and rice bran oil, sugar and cotton seed oil (1% each). However, the prices of groundnut oil and imported edible oil (1% each) declined.

The index for ''Textiles group rose by 0.2 percent to 141.7 (Provisional) from 141.4 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of polyester staple fibre (3%) and hessian cloth (1%).

The index for ''Rubber & Plastic Product '' group rose by 1.1 percent to 167.9 (Provisional) from 166.0 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of tractor tyres (8%), motor tyres (4%) and giant tyres (2%).

The index for ''Basic Metals Alloys & Metal Products'' group rose marginally to 255.4 (Provisional) from 255.3 (Provisional) for the previous week due to higher prices of lead ingots (4%) and foundry pig iron and basic pig iron (1% each). However, the prices of steel ingots (7%) and steel sheets, plates & strips and zinc ingots (1% each) declined.

FINAL INDEX FOR THE WEEK ENDED 11th April 2009

For the week ended 11/04/2009, the final wholesale price index for ''All Commodities’ (Base:1993-94=100) stood at 230.4 as compared to 228.8 (Provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index, calculated on point to point basis, stood at 0.96 percent as compared to 0.26 percent (Provisional) reported earlier vide press note dated 23/04/2009.