Inflation falls to -1.3 per cent

Inflation stayed negative for the third week in a row, at minus 1.3 per cent for the week ended June 20, even as prices of food like fruit and vegetables rose as compared to last year during the same period.

This is the third week in a row that inflation remained in negative territory with the index being (-)1.14 per cent for the week ended June 13.

Inflation for the corresponding week last year stood at 11.91 per cent, a time when price rise was a major cause for the government's concern.

During the week ended June 20, prices of food articles like fruit and vegetables rose by 0.6 per cent and non-food articles by 0.3 per cent. Among non-food articles the prices of fodder, groundnut seed and raw wool rose by 4 per cent, 2 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.

However, prices of food items like tea and fish marine declined by 4 per cent each, and jowar by 3 per cent.