Inflation rises to 5.28%; WPI inches up to 159.6

The annual inflation rate rose by another 0.34 percentage point to 5.28 per cent for the week-ended April 14 due to a near one per cent rise in the price of primary articles.

The point-to-point inflation rate based on wholesale price index (WPI) for all commodities (base year: 1993-94 = 100) stood at 4.94 per cent in the previous week and higher at 6.54 per cent a year ago.

WPI, however, rose only 0.1 per cent to 159.6 as against 159.4 in the previous week. The index was 151.6 a year ago. The final WPI for the week-ended February 17 stood firm at the provisional level of 158.5 and so did final inflation rate at the provisional figure of 8.49 per cent during the period.

Primary articles became costlier and fuel products became cheaper even as manufactured items remained firm at the previous week's mark. The index for primary articles' group rose by 0.9 per cent to 164.5 from 163.1 on account of a sharp 1.1 per cent rise in the price of food articles and a marginal increase in the case of non-food items. The index was 161.3 a year ago.