Retail inflation for rural labourers declines in March

Retail inflation based on consumer price index for rural labourers eased to 5.49 per cent in March from 6.19 per cent in previous month. The rate of price rise based on consumer price index for agricultural labourers too softened to 5.24 per cent in March from 6.08 per cent 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 per cent and 4.31 per cent respectively during March.