State records –1.16% rate amid falling food and transport prices; India’s inflation dips to 13-year low.
Hyderabad: Telangana recorded deflation for the second consecutive month in October, according to data released by the Central government on Wednesday. The state registered a deflation rate of 1.16 per cent in October, slightly lower than the 1.5 per cent recorded in September. Telangana was among 11 states that witnessed deflation, while India’s overall inflation eased to a 13-year low of 0.25 per cent. The country’s rural inflation also slipped into deflation at 0.25 per cent.
The decline in both headline and food inflation was attributed to the full-month impact of the GST reduction, a favourable base effect and a fall in prices of oils and fats, vegetables, fruits, eggs, footwear, cereals and transport and communication services. Telangana had earlier seen deflation in June and July before briefly turning positive at 0.94 per cent in August, only to slip back into deflation of 0.15 per cent in September.
In October, rural Telangana recorded deflation of 1.47 per cent, urban areas saw 0.93 per cent, and the combined rate stood at 1.16 per cent. These figures were well below the national averages of 0.25 per cent rural deflation, 0.88 per cent urban inflation and 0.25 per cent combined inflation. Along with Telangana, 11 other states reported deflation, indicating a wider trend of subdued price levels across several regions.
