File No.M-12011/2/2005-PCL

Government of India

Ministry of Statistics & Programme implementation

Central statistical Organization

Dated: 21st July, 2008

 

      Release of linked CPI (UNME) for May, 2008

 

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Non-Manual Employees [CPI (UNME)]  numbers on base 1984-85=100 in respect of 59 urban Centres and all -India were earlier compiled and released by the Central Statistical Organisation, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.  Because of outdated base year and also deployment of field investigators for collection of price data for a broad based CPI (Urban) number, the National Statistical Commission in its meeting held on 15.2.2008 decided to:

 

(i)                  discontinue the CPI (UNME) and

(ii)                adopt link index, based on ratio method after aggregating the sub group level indices of Labour Bureau’s CPI (Industrial Workers) using CPI (UNME) weights at group/sub-group level for all India.

(iii)               Compile  linked CPI(UNME) numbers till new series of CPI(Urban) is brought out

 

2.         Based on the methodology given by National Statistical Commission, ratio of CPI (UNME) numbers to CPI (Industrial Workers) numbers for each of the 24 months for the two year period from January, 2006, December, 2007 at sub-group level has been worked out. Average ratio at each level based on 24 months figure is taken as the linking factor at the respective level.  The CPI (UNME) weights have been used to get the indices at group and all groups levels.

 

3.         Price collection for CPI (UNME) was discontinued with effect from April 2008. As decided by the National Statistical Commission, linked all- India CPI (UNME) numbers for the month of May 2008 are given below for meeting the requirement of users. .

Linked all- India CPI (UNME) on base 1984-85=100 for May 2008

 

Group

UNME weight

 Linked index for May 2008

May

2007

% change

I    Food, beverages, tobacco

47.13

543

496

9.5

II   Fuel and light

5.48

586

581

0.9

III.  Housing

16.41

549

529

3.8

IV. Cloth., bedding and footwear

7.03

456

439

3.9

V. Miscellaneous

23.95

529

501

5.6

       General Index ( all groups)

100.00

537

503

6.8

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