Agricultural and rural workers got relief from inflation, inflation rate fell to -0.07 and 0.31 in September.

New Delhi, October 18 (IANS). According to data released by the Ministry of Labor and Employment on Saturday, inflation rates for agricultural and rural workers were recorded at -0.07 percent and 0.31 percent respectively in September. The Indian Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Workers fell 0.11 points to 136.23, while the Rural Workers Index fell 0.18 points to 136.42. According to the data, the food index fell by 0.47 points for agricultural workers and 0.58 points for rural workers in September. Labor Bureau released Consumer Price Index for Agricultural and Rural Workers with base year 2019=100 for September month. These indices are based on data collected from 787 sample villages in 34 States/Union Territories. The revised series significantly expanded its scope and coverage and included several methodological changes to make the indices more robust. For example, the burden diagram (share of expenditure in total expenditure) is modified due to changes in consumption patterns. The geometric mean was used in place of the arithmetic mean because GM controls price fluctuations and uses the latest classification of personal consumption by target. Meanwhile, India’s annual inflation rate based on the wholesale price index fell to 0.13 percent in September from 0.52 percent in August, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The positive inflation rate is mainly due to increases in prices of food products, other manufacturing, non-food items, other transport equipment and textiles etc. According to the data, food prices fell by 1.38 percent this month due to higher crop production and adequate buffer stocks of wheat and rice. Similarly, the country’s inflation rate based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to a more than eight-year low of 1.54 percent in September this year compared to the same month last year, as prices of food items and fuel became cheaper during the month. –IANS SKT/