Inflation stands firm at 5.9 per cent

Cheaper petrol and diesel could not bring down inflation that stood firm at the week-ago mark of 5.9 per cent for the week ended May 17 as prices of primary items, notably vegetables and fruits, shot up.

The point-to-point wholesale price index (WPI) fell marginally by 0.1 per cent to 172.3 points in the latest reported week. The final WPI stood at 172.1 for the week ended March 22 as compared to the provisional level of 171.6, while the final inflation was 6.3 per cent as against the provisional figure of 5.99 per cent.