ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: Prices of 17 daily kitchen items, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), have registered massive increase during the last week ended on Jan 19, 2006, statistics division said on Saturday.Most of these items, witnessing steady increase in prices for the last many weeks, resultantly disturbing the monthly budget of the lower middle class, particularly the salaried people.

Weekly inflation in commodities, measured through sensitive price index (SPI), indicated that the manufactured products, particularly vegetable ghee and cooking oil prices, have recorded massive upward trend in the last few weeks.

Figures released here by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) showed that price of bananas alone increased by 4.28 per cent to Rs31.70 per dozen as against Rs30.40 in the previous week.

The price of moong (washed) increased by 2.42 per cent to Rs55.84 per kg during the week as against Rs54.52; mustard oil price rose by 2.34 per cent to Rs78.69 per kg from Rs76.89 per kg; vegetable ghee tin was up by 2.06 per cent to Rs224.15 per 2.5kg as against Rs219.76, cooking oil tin was up by 1.97 per cent to Rs225.15 per 2.5 litres as against Rs220.79, sugar rose by 1.22 per cent to Rs32.23 per kg from Rs31.84.

The price of rice irri-6 increased by 1.04 per cent to Rs16.55 per kg as against Rs16.38, tea prepared 0.79 per cent to Rs6.34 per cup as against Rs6.29, vegetable ghee loose 0.70 per cent to Rs72.23 per kg as against Rs71.73, wheat 0.65 per cent to Rs12.47 per kg as against Rs12.39, LPG 11 kg cylinder 0.47 per cent to Rs624.94 per cylinder as against Rs622.

The price of firewood increased by 0.45 per cent to Rs195.06 per 40 kg as against Rs194.18, gram pulse washed 0.30 per cent to Rs46.70 per kg as against Rs46.56, rice basmati broken 0.28 per cent to Rs21.43 per kg as against Rs21.37, wheat flour by 0.22 per cent to Rs13.92 per kg as against Rs13.89, tea packet by 0.17 per cent to Rs70 per 250 gm as against Rs69.88 and masoor washed 0.11 per cent to Rs46.66 as against Rs46.61.