Coal news and updates

March retail inflation inches up to 8.31%

April 16: : Retail inflation in March inched up to 8.31% from 8.03% in February, mainly on account of a rise in fruit and vegetable prices.

"Provisional annual inflation rate based on the all-India general consumer price index (combined) for March 2014 on point-to-point basis (over March 2013) is 8.31% as compared to 8.03% for February 2014," the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said in a statement.

The corresponding provisional inflation rates for rural and urban areas for March were 8.89% and 7.51%, respectively. Inflation rates (final) for rural and urban areas for February were 8.43% and 7.55%, respectively.

Overall inflation in the food basket, including beverages, increased to 9.1% in March from 8.57% in the previous month, according to the consumer price index (CPI) data released by the CSO.

Vegetable prices increased 16.8% in March as against a 14.04% rise in February. The prices of fruits rose 17.19% compared to a 15.79% increase in February.

Retail or consumer inflation in protein-rich items such as eggs, fish and meat eased to 9.54% in March from 9.69% in February.

The rate of price rise for cereals and related products slowed to 9.61% in March from 9.93%.

However, the price of milk and its products increased 11.02% in March compared to 10.37% in the previous month.

Prices of condiments and spices rose 8.87% from 8.48% in February.

Retail inflation has been easing for three months since December 2013.

Government data earlier showed inflation as measured by the wholesale price index rose to a three-month high of 5.7% in March, mainly due to a spurt in prices of food items such as potato, onion and fruits.