Retail inflation eases in March: Labour Ministry

Retail inflation based on consumer price index for rural labourers eased to 5.49% in March from 6.19% in the previous month.

The rate of price rise based on consumer price index for agricultural labourers too softened to 5.24% in March from 6.08% in February, the Labour Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The retail inflation eased due to fall in prices of some food items.

The All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural Labourers remained stationary at 803 points and for Rural Labourers, with the increase of 1 point, stood at 807 points during March, the statement said.

The rise or fall in index varied from state to state. In case of farm workers, CPI-AL recorded an increase between 1 to 9 points in 13 states and a decrease between 1 to 6 points in 7 states.

Haryana with 902 points topped the CPI-AL table whereas Himachal Pradesh with the index level of 664 points stood at the bottom.

In case of rural workers, the index recorded an increase between 1 to 10 points in 13 states and a decrease between 1 to 6 points in 7 states. Haryana with 898 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with the index level of 695 points stood at the bottom.

The CPI-AL in respect of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal registered the maximum decrease of 6 points each and for rural labourers, West Bengal registered the maximum decrease of 6 points due to fall in the prices of rice, wheat atta, onion and vegetables & fruits.

The Index Numbers for farm workers for Tripura registered the maximum increase of 9 points and for Rural Labourers, Jammu & Kashmir State registered the maximum increase of 10 points mainly due to increase in the prices of maize, bread, pulses, meat goat, vegetables & fruits and knitted garment wool.

Inflation based on food index of CPI-AL and CPI-RL is 4.05% and 4.31% respectively during March.