Retail inflation for industrial workers eased to 5.04 per cent in February from 5.84 per cent in January this year mainly due to lower prices of certain food items. Inflation based of the consumer price index for industrial workers (CPI-IW) was at 4.48 per cent in February 2021, a labour ministry statement said.

Food inflation stood at 5.09 per cent in February 2022 against 6.22 per cent in the previous month and 4.64 per cent during the corresponding month a year ago.

The All-India CPI-IW for February 2022 decreased by 0.1 points to 125 points from 125.1 points in January this year.

The maximum downward pressure in current index came from food & beverages group contributing 0.30 percentage points to the total change, the ministry said.

At item level, rice, beetroot, cabbage, carrot, drumstick, French-been, lady’s finger, onion, potato and tomato, etc are responsible for the fall in index.

However, this decrease was checked by goat meat/Mutton, Poultry Chicken, Apple, Chili Green, Parwal, Kerosene Oil, Doctor’s/Surgeon Fess, Medicines Allopathic, Bus fare and Private Tuition/Coaching etc. putting upward pressure on the index.

At centre level, Salem recorded the maximum decrease of 4.7 points, followed by Tirunelveli with 3.7 points.

Among others, 5 centres recorded decrease between 2 and 2.9 points, 4 centres between 1 and 1.9 points and 28 centres between 0.1 and 0.9 points. On the contrary, Thane recorded the maximum increase of 2.9 points followed by Bhilwara with 2.1 points.

Among others, nine centres recorded increase between 1 and 1.9 points and 35 centres between 0.1 and 0.9 points. Rest of the three centres’ remained stationary.

The Labour Bureau, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, has been compiling Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers every month on the basis of retail prices collected from 317 markets spread over 88 industrially important centres in the country.

The index is compiled for 88 centres and All-India and is released on the last working day of succeeding month.