Food inflation fell sharply by over 100 basis points to 16.61 per cent for the week ended April 17 on lower prices of fruits and vegetables. In the previous week ending April 10, food inflation was at 17.65 per cent. Prices of masur, jowar, fruits and vegetables fell by 2 per cent each over the week and that of wheat by 1 per cent. However, moong, urad and fish-inland became costlier during the week. Overall the food index declined by 0.2 per cent.Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had said yesterday that the, government expects the prices of essential items to fall further on the prediction of a normal monsoon.