Coronavirus lockdown | April CPI data collected via telephonic enquiry, field visits remain suspended

While the government released retail inflation numbers for April on May 12, the price movement data for groups and sub-groups of items were missing.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) gave the price movement of select groups/sub-groups of Consumer Price Index (CPI). However, general CPI for April was not released on account of inadequate data collection due to the nationwide lockdown.

Read More | April retail inflation eases to 5.84%

"In the month of April, 2020, price data was largely collected by telephonic enquiry from the designated outlets. This was supplemented by information collected during the personal purchase of field staff for the items being transacted from neighborhood outlets keeping in view the travel advisories. The whole exercise was carried out by well experienced and professional staff of FOD, NSO stationed at about 200 locations across the country," the ministry said.

Generally, the price data is collected from selected 1,114 urban markets and 1,181 villages through personal visits by field staff of the ministry.

However, due to the nationwide lockdown and other preventive measures announced by the government in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the price collection through personal visits was suspended with effect from March 19.

The ministry said in the release that price movement for the sub-groups ‘Meat and fish’ and ‘Prepared meals, snacks, sweets, etc’ under ‘Food & Beverages’ group as well as the ‘Pan, tobacco and intoxicants’ group and the ‘Clothing and Footwear’ group was not compiled.