nflation rises to 11.42%

Pushed by higher prices of food articles including milk, cereals, tea, edible oils and some manufactured items like soaps and detergents, inflation soared to 11.42 per cent for the week ending June 14. The inflation number was higher by 0.37 p er cent over the figure recorded during the previous week.
Inflation was 4.13 per cent in the corresponding week a year ago. At 11.42 per cent, it has breached a high of 11.11 per cent witnessed on May 6, 1995, but was still below 16.9 per cent recorded in March that year.
During the week, the prices of tea went up by three per cent, milk by one per cent, sunflower oil by four per cent, vanaspati by two per cent and imported edible oil, salt mustard oil by one per cent each.
At the same time, items of daily use like soap became expensive by eight per cent, detergents by nine per cent, hair oil by one per cent. Besides, fuel items especially lubricants became dearer by 19 per cent, while prices of steel products like wire ro pes and steel wire shot up by 36 and 25 per cent respectively.
Galloping inflation may further prompt government and the RBI to take steps to tame price rise