New Delhi: Delhi has recorded the lowest inflation rate among the five metro cities in the country, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday.
Sisodia, who is also Minister of Finance Delhi, said the city recorded the lowest inflation rate for food prices in the country in the financial year 2020-21.
Sisodia released an annual report on the price index for Delhi, prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics for 2020-21, which revealed that in the last fiscal, increased inflation in Delhi was 3%, while Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru registered 4.6%, 4.4%, 4.1% and 4% increase.
The Minister of Finance said data showed that the Delhi government efficiently managed to maintain inflation under the control in the national capital and, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Delhi recorded the lowest inflation rate in this country.
While releasing the report, Sisodia said that in the financial year 2020-21, the average growth rate of annual inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 5% national, while only 3% in Delhi.
Sisodia also said that in the previous fiscal, the national inflation rate for food prices was 5.7%.
On the other hand, in Delhi, rates were recorded at 4.1%, which, he said, was the lowest in this country.
The housing index of the consumer price index saw an increase of 5.2% throughout India in 2020-21, but only 3.9% in Delhi, the Minister of Finance said.
Sisodia also shows that the inflation rate increased sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic in the country and the price of essential commodities increased.
However, in Delhi, inflation increase rates are far lower than the whole country even during this period, he said.
The increase in inflation in Delhi was 2% lower than national figures, who saw a 5% increase, Sisodia added.
Deputy Minister of Chief said that because of the timely steps adopted by the Government of Kejriawan Arvind, commodity prices in Delhi remained stable during this period and did not increase much.
Sisodia said the Delhi government continued to monitor important commodity prices and made efforts from time to time to control and stabilize commodity prices through market intervention.
Sisodia further said that the AAM AADMI party government is committed to ordinary people and always stands with him.
He said that a stable inflation rate even during a pandemic was a great relief for the people of Delhi when the inflation rate increased rapidly throughout the country.
The Minister of Finance said that the Delhi government did not allow increased inflation in the city during a pandemic period by taking different steps.