India's annual inflation slips to 8.66 percent in April

India's annual inflation slips to 8.66 percent in AprilNew Delhi, May 16 : India's annual rate of inflation slipped a tad to 8.66 percent in April, compared to 9.04 percent recorded in the previous month, according to official data released Monday.

The fall in inflation was on the lines predicted by policy-makers but still remains much higher than the comfort level of the Reserve Bank of India and government.

Manufactured products index, the largest constituent of the wholesale price index -- the barometer that indicates price behaviour -- crept up 1.04 percent, while the primary articles index rose 2.2 percent.

The primary articles index is composed of both food and non-food items.

As a group, the food items index rose by 2.5 percent as compared to the like month of last fiscal, while non-food articles index moved up by 2 percent.

The provisional annual rate of inflation for February, which was earier pegged at 8.31 percent, was revised upwards to 9.54 percent.

Following is the 12-month inflation for some sub-indices within the overall wholesale price index:

--Primary articles: 12.05 percent

--Food Articles: 8.71 percent

--Vegetables: 2.29 percent

--Cereals: 4.3 percent

--Pulses: (-)6.37 percent

--Non-food articles: 27.33 percent

--Fuels and power: 13.32 percent

--Cooking gas: 11.31 percent

--Petrol: 21.81 percent

--Diesel: 5.49 percent

--Manufactured products: 6.18 percent

--Sugar: 3.33 percent

--Edible oils: 12.95 percent

--Manmade Textiles: 11.65 percent

--Cotton Textiles: 24.67 percent(IANS)