The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ending July 15 shows that essential items are over 12.3 percent dearer than these were in the corresponding week last year ie on July 17, 2003.
The weekly SPI bulletin of the Federal Bureau of Statistics issued here on Saturday brings out the fact that the index for the lowest income group is at 123.03 posting an increase of 13.81 over its position last year.
This group bears the heaviest brunt of price hike, which has continued to scale new highs every week.
For the income group between Rs 3,001 and Rs 5,000, the rise is 13.03 percent while for income group between Rs 5,001 and Rs 12,000 the increase is 12.52 percent.
It also indicates that the upward trend in SPI has continued with only one break in the last ten weeks.
Compared with the position exactly one year back, onions are costlier by 110 percent, potatoes by 51 percent, mutton by 33 percent, beef by 30 percent, wheat flour by 28 percent, eggs by 25 percent, wheat by 28 percent and tomatoes by 12 percent.
Though the following items did not post any change during the past one week, these are costlier, as compared to prices one year back, like Irri rice by 17 percent, bread plain by 11 percent, milk by 10 percent, powdered milk by 13 percent, curd by 13 percent, kerosene by 24 percent, diesel by 22 percent, petrol by 17 percent, and chicken farm by 10 percent.