Chhattisgarh and Delhi recorded the lowest retail inflation in all Indian states and Union Territories in September, according to the latest data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). While Chhattisgarh saw the lowest inflation of 1.98 per cent, the national capital recorded 2.24 per cent, which was below the national average of 5 per cent. Delhi’s inflation came down further in September from 3.1 per cent recorded in August.
India’s retail inflation rates moderated to a three-month low of 5 per cent in September while factory output soared to a 14-month high of 10.4 per cent. Annual retail inflation, called CPI or consumer price index, rose 5.02 per cent in September from 6.83 per cent in the previous month on the back of softer vegetable prices.
Among the states where inflation was below the national average are Madhya Pradesh (3.67), West Bengal (3.66), Jammu and Kashmir (3.46), Kerala (4.72), and Tamil Nadu (4.54).
Last month, when Delhi reported the lowest inflation, AAP leader Raghav Chadha said the slowest price rise happened due to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s welfare schemes for the people. Addressing a press conference, Chadha cited the figures of other states and said that the inflation in the national capital was almost half of the national figure.
“This is because Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has given a welfare model. I would call it the Arvind Kejriwal Mehengai Rahat Model under which people have access to free education, health, and water,” he said. Chadha said that BJP calls the welfare schemes ‘revdi’. “These are not revdi but prepaid services. People pay taxes for these services. Arvind Kejriwal gives your money back through these schemes,” he added.
The AAP leader further said that everything, from medicines to education, had become expensive. “The Modi govt has set a record by setting the highest inflation rate in the last nine years,” he said, adding that even items like milk, curd, rice, flour, tea, and coffee that were never taxed by the British were now being taxed by the Centre.
