‘RBI rate hike not to impact inflation in short-term’

The central bank had raised key policy rates by 12 times since March 2010 to check inflation.

Ahead of the Reserve Bank’s mid-year credit policy review tomorrow,a senior Plan panel official today said the interest rate hike will not have any bearing on either inflation or economic growth.

“On inflation,it (rate hike by RBI) will not have much impact in the short-term. Rate hikes are aimed a brining down inflationary pressures in the long-term,” Planning Commission Principal Adviser Pronab Sen said when asked about impact of possible hike in key rates by RBI on Tuesday.

As regards the impact of interest rate hike on growth,he said,it will have “no impact” on economic growth which is likely to be in excess of 8 per cent in the current fiscal.

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RBI in its mid-year review of the monetary policy is expected to raise its key interest rate by 25 basis point to contain inflation which is hovering near the double-digit

mark.

The central bank had raised key policy rates by 12 times since March 2010 to check inflation.

On growth prospects for 2011-12,Sen said,”I am hopeful of 8 per cent plus economic growth this fiscal.”

While the wholesale price index for September was at 9.72 per cent,the latest food inflation was 10.60 for week ended October 8.

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On the other hand,industrial growth figures are discouraging at 4.1 per cent for August.

During the first quarter of the current fiscal,the economy grew at 7.7 per cent,the lowest in the last several quarters. The growth during the remaining quarters will have to be higher if the country is to achieve the growth rate of over 8 per cent.

The growth rate by 8.5 per cent during 2010-11.

Sen also raised question marks over the computation of industrial production data,saying the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is apparently underestimated.