The government said on Friday it is hopeful of containing inflation under the 13 per cent mark as wheat and rice stock position was comfortable and prices of some food items are coming down.

"I don't think that inflation will cross the 13 per cent mark . . .We are hopeful that actual inflation will start coming down," Union Commerce Secretary G K Pillai told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar in New Delhi on Friday.

"Prices of quite a number of food items have come down . . . the international prices of maize have declined considerably," Pillai said.

Pulses' imports have started coming in and the government had started a scheme of providing both pulses and edible oil at a subsidised rate, he added.

"We are giving a subsidy of Rs 10 per kg to below poverty line families," he said.

The Cabinet committee on prices met yesterday and will be meeting again next week to take a stock of the situation, Pillai said.

The committee of secretaries is meeting regularly on the issue, he added.

• Inflation, the silent killer!