(a) the details of inflation rate during the last six months along with its impact on economic growth rate and on demand and prices in the market;
(b) whether the retail prices of food items are increasing at higher rate than the inflation rate and if so, the reasons therefor; and
(c) the efforts being made by the Government to check such price rise?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(SHRI P. RADHAKRISHNAN)
(a) Headline and food inflation based on Consumer Price Index – Combined (CPI-C) during the last six months is presented in Table 1. The overall economic growth of an economy is dependent on several factors such as structural, external, fiscal and monetary factors and it is difficult to pinpoint the impact of any one particular factor on the growth rate of GDP.
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Table 1: Inflation based on CPI-C (in per cent)
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Jun-18 Jul-18 Aug-18 Sep-18 Oct-18 Nov-18 (P)
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CPI-C 4.9 4.2 3.7 3.7 3.4 2.3
CFPI 2.9 1.3 0.3 0.5 -0.9 -2.6
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Note: (P) - Provisional CFPI – Consumer Food Price Index
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO).
(b) No.
(c) Does not arise.
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