Morung Express News Dimapur | August 8 The Department of Economics and Statistics, Nagaland released its first series of New Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Rural, Urban and Combined on August 8. This was commemorated alongside the felicitation of Er Kropol Vitsu, Parliamentary Secretary, Department of Economics and Statistics & SCERT. The CPI measures the changes in prices of a fixed set of goods and services over the years consumed by a defined set of families in a particular area with reference to the base year. Highlighting on the New CPI publication, Neidilhou Angami, Deputy Director mentioned that the index is useful in generating and adjusting real wages and salaries, taxation, price policy, and other economic policies especially for entrepreneurs, businessmen, policy makers, Planners, Administrators, and researchers. Under the CPI, 105 items in rural sector, 130 items in urban sector and 131 items in the combined sector are included in the weighting diagram based on the National Sample Survey (NSS) 66th Round State Report for Consumer Households Expenditure survey. The prices of 238 items were collected from the 11 districts covering 11 urban price centres and 22 rural price centers. Using the base year 2010=100, the newly released first series of the CPI is for the last quarter of 2016 (October –December). The CPI quarter October to December 2016 for rural is estimated at 118.10 point which means the rate of inflation during the period from the base year 2010=100 is 18.10 percent. In the urban sector, the estimated CPI is 115.72 point indicating an inflationary rate of 15.71 percent. As per the index, the food group for the Quarter combined (rural:urban) CPI shows an increase of price by 16.26 percent. Pan, supari, tobacco and intoxicant products indicate an increase of price by 18.12 per cent. Housing Index for the urban sector shows an increase of price level by 22.66 per cent. Fuel and Light category inflation rate is 18.07 percent. Meanwhile clothing and bedding price increased by 21.11 percent from the base period of 2010 and cereals and products sub group increased by 8.12 percent. The Department of Economics and Statistics was declared a full-fledged department in 1969 which currently has over 600 employees in the State level, district level and Block levels with its activities ranging from registration of births and deaths, to conducting the National Sample Survey. Providing a brief introduction of the department, Kevileno Angami, Secretary to Government of Nagaland, Department of Economics & Statistics stressed on the importance of data and statistics to ensure proper planning and progress in the State. According to Angami, if the State wants proper planning in terms of development and progress, there needs to be an understanding on the realities of the State, where the Econ & Statistics department engages in the crucial role of collecting necessary data. Besides the statistical handbooks and annual administrative reports, Angami informed that under the registration of births and deaths, the Head teacher of the Government Primary School acts as the Registrar whereby the department had 1147 Registrars at present. The department is also engaged in collecting price statistics in gauging whether the increase in income gives the citizens enough purchasing power. “Unless statistics and data are given, we cannot come out with proper policies and programs in the State,” remarked Angami. The department needs to be handled with care, said Er Kropol Vitsu, Parliamentary Secretary who acknowledged the work of the employees in collection and surveying of statistics and data. “It is a painstaking job. The kind of responsibility we have in our department compared to other department is more important. Further the data collected are not taken as official data until and unless it is analyzed properly because this will be disseminated to the public and to the Government of India. We cannot afford to make any mistakes,” stated Er Vitsu. While lauding the works of the employees, the Parliamentary Secretary also reprimanded the staff on unprofessional working system especially on the leakage of confidential information. Er Vitsu shared his experience on how even before his official taking over, he had visitors in his house requesting for appointments and transfer orders. “The office file handling system should be strictly handled by the deputed official, where vacancy, supply, contract works should not be leaked out without the official consent,” he said.
