Retail inflation for factory workers softens to 6.49% in June

NEW DELHI: Lower prices of food items, soft coke and medicines pulled down retail inflation for industrial workers to 6.49 per cent in June against 7.02 per cent in May.

The retail inflation, which is based on Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), was at 11.06 per cent in the same month last year, a Labour Ministry release said.

Food inflation stood at 5.88 per cent in June against 7.66 per cent of the previous month and 14.86 per cent in the corresponding month of 2013.

The All India CPI-IW for June 2014 increased by 2 points and pegged at 246.

Rice, fish fresh, goat meat, milk, potato, onion, tomato and other vegetables, chicken, sugar, cigarette, electricity charges were responsible for the increase in the index.

However, this increase was restricted to some extent by wheat & wheat atta, edible oils, fruits, soft coke, medicine (allopathic), etc, the release said.

At centre level, Goa, Madurai, Vishakhapathnam, Bengluru and Kodarma recorded maximum increase of 6 points each followed by Ahmedabad and Hubli Dharwar (5 points each).

Among others, 4 points rise was observed in 8 centres, 3 points in 11 centres, 2 points in 16 centre and one point in another 16 centres.

On the contrary, a decline of 8 points was reported in Giridih, 2 points each in Yamunanagar and Sholapur, and one point in 5 centres. Indices of remaining 12 centres experienced no change.

The indices of 36 centres are above and other 42 centres are below national avearage.