MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI S.S.PALANIMANICKAM)
(a): A High Powered Price Monitoring Board (HPPMB) in the Cabinet Secretariat monitors the
movement of wholesale and retail prices of selected essential commodities which include Rice,
Wheat,Atta,Arhar,Gram, Tea, Milk, Sugar, Groundnut Oil, Mustard Oil, Vanaspati, Potato,
Onion and Salt.All these items are included in the current Wholesale Price Index (WPi) (base:
1993-94=100) and the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) (base: 1982=100)
(b)& (c): The WPI series with base 1993-94 and CPI-IW series with base 1982 are still in vogue.
(d}& (e): Table showing the increase and decrease in terms of WPI and CPl is indicated below:
Table: Inflation (%)Over previous year in terms of WPI Inflation(%)overpreviousyearinterms ofCPl(IW) 2004 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005
Items Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb(p) Mar(p) Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Rice -1.5 -0.1 3.4 2.5 2.9 3.6 -1.1 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.4 NA
Wheat 3.7 1.9 0.3 -1.2 -1.6 -0.4 -1.2 -1.7 -3.0 -2.5 0.5 NA
Wheat 2.1 1.2 -0.6 -1.9 -2.3 0.8 0.9 -1.0 -1.5 -0.9 2.3 NA
(Atta)
Arhar 12.5 3.2 -0.7 -5.6 -6.6 -6.0 10.2 7.8 4.0 2.5 -0.7 NA
Dal
Gram -5.0 -5.1 4.0 -2.4 -2.1 -0.7 -2.5 -2.3 -2.0 -0.4 -0.7 NA
Dal
Tea- 37.8 35.5 20.7 5.7 10.9 16.7 0.5 1.1 1.6 2.0 3.3 NA
leaves
Milk 4.0 4.4 3.9 4.1 2.8 -0.7 3.7 3.2 2.4 2.0 1.2 NA
Sugar 15.6 15.5 18.9 30.8 19.3 20.5 15.2 16.1 13.8 23.2 19.8 NA
Ground- 4.3 10.9 3.3 -2.3 -5.0 -4.2 3.4 3.0 0.4 -1.9 -2.8 NA
nut Oil
Mustard -7.1 -9,0 -9.5 -11.2 -16.4 -14.6 -7.9 -9.4 -10.7 -9.1 -5.4 NA
Oil
Vanas- 5.1 3.3 2.2 0.8 -1.6 -2.6 4.9 3.9 1.8 -2.0 -5.1 NA
pati
Potato 89.5 53.7 18.2 32.2 52.0 37.2 53.2 47.0 26.8 6.1 -14.1 NA
Onion -18.8 -22.1 -30.6 -40.9 -42.6 -26.4 -16.9 -25.2 -30.7 -20.1 -9.6 NA
Salt 17.5 15.0 21.2 34.2 42.6 40.6 -0.1 0.7 0.5 0.9 -29.6 NA
P- provisional NA: Not Available
(f):For revision of the current series of Wholesale Price Index, a working group has been setup
under the Chairmanship of Prof. Abhijit Sen of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) currently Member,
Planning Commission. The working group is mandated to review the commodity coverage, base year,
weighting,;diagram and related issues, particularly keeping in view the recommendation of the
National Statistical Commission. Similarly,Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour has start
ed the process of updating the current series of CPI-IW with base: 1982 =100 to the new base
with 2001 = 100.