March 20, 2002

    The All-India Consumer Price Index for Agricultural and Rural Labourers (Base 1986-87 = 100) during February, 2002 remained stationary over the previous month’s level to stand at 308 and 311 respectively.

    However, in case of Agricultural Labourers, 9 states reflected an increase in indices between 1 to 3 points and 7 States showed decrease in indices between 1 to 8 points while the indices remained constant in 4 states..

    In the case of Rural Labourers, 8 states reflected increase in indices between 1 to 3 points and 7 states showed decrease in indices between 1 to 8 points while the indices remained constant in 5 states...

    Amongst the states, Orissa experienced sharpest decrease of 8 points each for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers while Kerala and Uttar Pradesh in respect of Agricultural Labourers and Himachal Pradesh and Kerala in respect of Rural Labourers recorded a maximum increase of 3 points each. Meghalaya continued to figure at the top of the index table for both Agricultural and Rural Labourers with 350 and 347 points respectively whereas Orissa remained at the bottom with 286 points for both the series.

    Point to point rate of inflation based on CPI-AL increased from 2.33% during January, 2002 to 3.01 % in February, 2002. In case of the CPI-RL the inflation rate increased from 2.64 % in the previous month to 3.32 % during February, 2002. Respective rates of inflation during February, 2001 were (-) 2.29 % and (-) 1.95 %.