Wholesale inflation eases to 3.85 pc in February
New Delhi (PTI): The wholesale price based inflation eased for the ninth consecutive month to 3.85 per cent in February on easing prices of manufactured items and fuel and power, showed the government data released on Tuesday.
The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation rate was 4.73 per cent in January this year and 13.43 per cent in February 2022.
Inflation in food articles, however, rose to 3.81 per cent in February, as against 2.38 per cent in January.
"Decline in the rate of inflation in February 2023 is primarily contributed by fall in prices of crude petroleum & natural gas, non-food articles, food products, minerals, computer, electronic & optical products, chemicals & chemical products, electrical equipment and motor vehicles, trailers & semi-trailers," the commerce and industry ministry said.
Inflation in pulses was 2.59 per cent, while in vegetables was (-)21.53 per cent. Inflation in oil seeds was (-)7.38 per cent in February 2023.
Fuel and power basket inflation eased to 14.82 per cent from 15.15 per cent in the preceding month. In manufactured products it was 1.94 per cent, against 2.99 per cent in January.
The deceleration in WPI comes in line with the dip in retail inflation, data of which was released on Monday.
Consumer price index based retail inflation declined to 6.44 per cent in February from 6.52 per cent in January.
In its monetary policy review last month, the Reserve Bank of India had hiked key interest rate by 25 basis points to 6.50 per cent, saying core inflation still remains sticky.
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Fire in coach of New Delhi-Chennai express train; no casualty
Nagpur (PTI): A coach of the New Delhi-Chennai Grant Trunk Express caught fire in Maharashtra's Wardha district on Tuesday morning, railway officials said.
There were no casualties, they said.
Train 12616 New Delhi-Chennai (Tambaram) Grant Trunk Express left from Nagpur in the morning. While it was heading towards Sindi railway station in Wardha, smoke was detected in the last guard coach of the train at 11.09 am, Central Railway spokesperson Sanjay Muley told PTI.
The train was stopped on the Sindi-Tuljapur section, the affected coach was detached immediately, and the fire brigade was called, he said.
All passengers in the train and the coach concerned were safe, the official said.
The cause of the fire will be known after a detailed investigation.
The train will resume its journey in some time without the affected coach, the official added.
