New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Inflation at the wholesale levelrose to 6-month high of 3.59 per cent in October as the pricesof food articles, led by onions and vegetables, rose sharply.
Inflation, based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), was2.60 per cent in September.
In October last year, it was 1.27 per cent.
Last month's inflation was the highest since April, whenit was 3.85 per cent.
The government data released today showed that inflationin food articles more than doubled to 4.30 per cent inOctober.
For vegetables, it soared to 36.61 per cent last month asagainst 15.48 per cent in September.
In case of onions, inflation skyrocketed to 127.04 percent, while for the eggs, meat and fish segment the rate ofprice rise was 5.76 per cent.
Inflation in manufactured products saw a slight dip to2.62 per cent, as against 2.72 per cent in September.
In the fuel and power segment, inflation rose to 10.52per cent, as against 9.01 per cent in September.
Fuel inflation has remained high for the past threemonths as petrol and diesel prices continued to rule hightracking global crude oil rates. Power tariffs shot throughthe roof on lower domestic production.
Pulses continued to witness deflation at 31.05 per cent.
Likewise, in potato deflation was at 44.29 per cent and wheatat 1.99 per cent.
The final print of August WPI inflation remainedunchanged at 3.24 per cent.
As per the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data releasedyesterday, retail inflation for October rose to a 7-month highof 3.58 per cent on costlier food items, especiallyvegetables.
Besides, industrial production for September expanded at3.8 per cent, on poor showing by the manufacturing sectorcoupled with decline in consumer durables output.
Last month, the Reserve Bank kept benchmark interest rateunchanged on fears of rising inflation while lowering growthforecast to 6.7 per cent for the current fiscal.
RBI also raised its inflation forecast to the 4.2-4.6 percent range for the rest of the current fiscal as against 4-4.5per cent previously. PTI JDSA.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.