The Economics Times : Jun 15, 2020, 05:34 PM
New Delhi: India’s wholesale inflation shrank 3.21% in May even as the government said that due to limited information available for April, the provisional figures of May are compared with final figures of March.The government had suspended the release of wholesale price index (WPI) data last month due to the nationwide lockdown imposed since 25 March to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.“This department has advised the field offices to collect price data through electronic means of the communication during the lockdown. The response rate for April 2020 has improved substantially. Final index for the month of April 2020 will be released in next month press note in the light of the updated data received from the selected sources,” the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said in a statement on Monday.Food inflation eased to 1.13% in May from 2.55% in April. Both fuel and manufactured price inflation turned negative last month."The annual rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index decreased from 5.20% in March, 2020 to 2.31% in May, 2020," the government said.DPIIT said that the WPI for May, 2020 have been compiled at a response rate of 75%, the final figure for March, 2020 at a response rate of 85%. These provisional figures of WPI will undergo revision as per the final revision policy of WPI.The National Statistical Office on Friday did not release the headline retail inflation data, based on consumer price index for May, similar to April, due to lack of data.