FM expresses concern over rising food inflation

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) Indian Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee Thursday expressed concern over rising food
inflation, saying it is perilously near double digits.
"It is bad news that inflation has increased. Weekly
inflation from August 6 to 13 has gone up... I am more
concerned about food inflation, which is perilously near
double digits, from 9.03 to 9.80 per cent," said Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The Finance Minister, however, maintained that the weekly
inflation figures are variant and an assessment should be made
on the basis of a relatively longer period.
"As I have always maintained, weekly inflation figures
are variant. We should make an assessment on the basis of a
relatively longer period," Mukherjee said outside Indian
Parliament.
Mukherjee said primary articles recorded 12.40 per cent
inflation for the week ended August 13, up from 11.64 per cent
in the previous week.
Inflation in non-food articles, which include fibres, oil
seeds and minerals, stood at 17.80 per cent for the week ended
August 13, compared to 16.07 per cent in the previous week.
Citing the reasons for the rise, Mukherjee said this is
mainly because of non-food primary articles. "It is mainly
because of the rise in prices of flowers, raisins and series
of rapeseeds like groundnut seed, mustard seed, flower seed."
Meanwhile, fuel and power inflation stood stable at 13.13
per cent for the week ended August 13, the same as in the week
ended August 6.