All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for agricultural labourers and rural labourers (Base: 1986-87=100) for the month of December, 2016 decreased by two points each to stand at 876 (Eight hundred and seventy six) and 881 (Eight hundred and eighty one) points respectively.
The rise or fall in index varied from State to State. In case of agricultural labourers, it recorded an increase between one to 13 points in 9 States and decrease of one to 15 points in 10 States while it remained stationary for Assam State. Karnataka with 1006 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 725 points stood at the bottom. In case of rural labourers, it recorded an increase between one to 11 points in 8 States and a decrease of one to 15 points in 12 States. Karnataka with 1001 points topped the index table whereas Bihar with 745 points stood at the bottom.
The Consumer Price Index Numbers for agricultural labourers and rural labourers in respect of Kerala State registered the maximum increase of 13 points and 11 points respectively mainly due to rise in the prices of rice, wheat atta, coconut-oil, vegetables and fruits, onion, chillies green, tamarind, gur, tea ready-made, bidi, kerosene-oil, plastic chappal and hair-oil. On the contrary, the Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers registered the maximum decrease of 15 points each for West Bengal State due to fall in the prices of rice, fish fresh, fish dry, chillies green and vegetables & fruits etc.
Point to point rate of inflation based on the CPI-AL and CPI-RL decreased from 2.93 per cent and 3.03 per cent in November, 2016 to 2.70 per cent and 2.80 per cent in December, 2016 respectively. Inflation based on food index of CPI-AL and CPI-RL is at 2.05 per cent and 1.79 per cent respectively during December, 2016.