Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural and Rural Labourers
Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural and Rural Labourers on Base 1986-87=100 (including Rural Labour Enquiry)
The existing series of CPI Numbers for Agricultural and Rural Labourers (base 1986-87=100) covers data from from 600 sample villages selected from 20 States every month. The indices for 20 States and all-India for Agricultural and Rural Labourers are compiled on monthly basis as per the methodology suggested by the Technical Advisory Committee on Statistics of Prices of Cost of Living (TAC on SPCL).
The Field Operations Division of the National Statistical Office has been entrusted with the responsibility of collection of rural retail prices every month from shops and markets catering to 600 representative sample villages spread over 66 NSS regions in 20 States. Price collection from these sample villages is staggered over the four weeks of a month, with one-fourth of the sample being covered every week. These prices are collected on the fixed price collection day which may be a "Haat" day for non-daily markets and any market day for daily markets. The price returns are scrutinised and processed in Labour Bureau and the discrepancies, if any, are sorted out through correspondence and field inspections by the staff of the Bureau.
The indices are released on monthly basis and the Index of the previous month is released on the 20th of the ongoing month.
The base revision of the CPI-AL/RL with Base 2019 is in final stages and will be undertaken within this year itself subject to approval by TAC.