Inflation rose to 3.5 per cent for the week ended December 22, compared to 3.45 per cent in the previous week, mainly due to increase in prices of some manufactured and fuel items.

The wholesale price-based inflation stood at 5.78 per cent in the corresponding week a year ago. Among manufactured items, prices of bread and buns went up by seven per cent, while those of butter and cottonseed oil rose by two per cent, and maida one per cent.

In the food article segment, prices of coffee and vegetable moved up, while gram, moong, urad and rice became cheaper. In the fuel category, furnace oil got expensive by 5 per cent while naptha rose by 3 per cent.