The Union Finance Minister Shri P Chidambaram has said that looming large over our efforts to stimulate growth is inflation. Presenting the General Budget 2013-14 in Lok Sabha today, Shri Chidambaram said that some inflation is imported. Supply demand mismatch, for example in oilseeds and pulses, also pushes up inflation, he said. Aggregate demand is another cause of inflation. The battle against inflation must be fought on all fronts, he asserted. Shri Chidambaram said, in the past few months Government’s efforts have brought down headline WPI inflation to about 7.0 per cent and core inflation to about 4.2 per cent.

He further stated that food inflation is worrying and the Government shall take all possible steps to augment the supply side to meet the growing demand for food items.

DSM/MG/DP/72

(Release ID :92725)

Inflation control: government commits to multi front measures, focusing on supply augmentation to ease food price pressures. Government commits to fight inflation caused by imported factors, supply-demand mismatches (notably in oilseeds and pulses) and aggregate demand, reporting reductions in headline wholesale and core inflation and announcing targeted supply side measures to augment food production and distribution to address worrying food inflation.