Shimla:The All-India CPI-IW for March, 2019 increased by two points and pegged at 309 (three hundred and nine).
On one-month percentage change, it increased by (+) 0.65 per cent between February, 2019 and March, 2019 which was static between the same two months a year back.The maximum upward pressure in current index came from Food group contributing (+) 1.53 percentage points to the total change.
At item level, Arhar Dal, Goat Meat, Chillies Green, Apple, Coconut, Lemon, Bitter Gourd, Brinjal, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, French Bean, Gourd, Lady's Finger, Methi, Palak, Parval, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Tomato, Petrol, etc are responsible for the increase in index.
However, this increase was checked by Rice, Wheat, Wheat Atta, Coconut Oil, Mustard Oil, Fish Fresh, Eggs (Hen), Onion, Tamarind, Banana, Gowar Phali, Watermelon, Electricity Charges, Flowers/Flower Garlands, etc., putting downward pressure on the index.
The year-on-year inflation based on CPI-IW stood at 7.67 per cent for March, 2019 as compared to 6.97 per cent for the previous month and 4.36 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year. Similarly, the Food inflation stood at (+) 3.96 per cent against (+) 2.63 per cent of the previous month and (+) 1.68 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year.
At centre level Munger-Jamalpur and Lucknow reported the maximum increase of 6 points each followed by Kanpur, Bhilwara and Ranchi-Hatia (5 points each).Among others, 4 points increase was observed in 3 centres, 3 points in 10 centres, 2 points in 17 centres and 1 point in 19 centres.
On the contrary, Kodarma recorded a maximum decrease of 5 points followed by Tiruchirapally (3 points) and Chennai (2 points). Among others, 1 point decrease was observed in 8 centres. Rest of the 13 centres' indices remained stationary.
The indices of 33 centres are above All-India Index and 44 centres' indices are below national average. The index of Rourkela centre remained at par with AllIndia Index.(UNI)