Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam ranks 17th among states and union territories in rice price inflation, well below the national average, according to the latest CPI data.

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The state Food and Civil Supplies Department, in a statement on Sunday, dismissed reports of an abnormal rise in rice prices, saying there was no factual basis for the campaign.

Citing Consumer Price Index data released by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, it said national retail rice inflation in October stood at 12.51 per cent, against 8.54 per cent in Keralam.

Puducherry recorded the highest rice inflation at 28.54 per cent, followed by Andhra Pradesh (26.69 per cent), Telangana (24.47 per cent), Karnataka (22.43 per cent) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (21.11 per cent), the department said.

The state ranked fifth in food inflation at 10.92 per cent and 15th in overall retail inflation at 4.37 per cent, it said.

The department suspected that attempts were being made to create an artificial price rise through such reports.

Following instructions from Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob, officials monitored prices at wholesale centres in Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, as well as retail outlets in urban and rural areas.

The exercise did not reveal any abnormal increase in rice prices, it said.

According to the department, retail prices per kg were Rs 45-50 for kuthari unda rice, Rs 48-56.85 for vadi rice, Rs 50 for raw rice, Rs 45-53.50 for jaya, Rs 43-50 for kuruva and Rs 70-75 for ponni.

Daily price monitoring data compiled by the state's Economics and Statistics Department showed that the average price of matta rice had risen by only Rs 1.50 to Rs 1.90 between July and November 13, it said.

The department acknowledged that the price of ponni rice had increased, but said its consumption in the state was very low. It alleged that the rise in ponni prices was being cited to create the impression of a broader, sharper increase in rice prices.

The government would not allow attempts to artificially push up rice and other food prices in the coming months, it said. As during the Onam season, essential commodities, including rice, would be brought to the market in larger quantities if required, it added.

The department attributed the state's ability to withstand the broader national inflationary trend to its strong public distribution system.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)