Inflation slips to 8.66%; petrol hike can play spoilsport:Govt

New Delhi:Moderation in prices of food and manufactured items pulled inflation marginally down to 8.66 per cent in April, but the government said Saturday’s hike in petrol prices will put pressure in the coming months.
Headline inflation, as measured by wholesale price index (WPI), during the month declined by 0.38 percentage point from 9.04 per cent in March, mainly because of a decline in prices of items like pulses and potato.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said though the fall in inflation numbers was a welcome trend, he was not comfortable with them.
He further said that there will be some impact on overall inflation in the coming months “due to the adjustment in the petrol prices effected by oil marketing companies”.
Oil marketing companies on Saturday increased petrol prices by Rs 5 per litre.