<span style="color: #222222;">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that several steps taken by the government to control inflation have yielded positive results. She said the rate of inflation has come down due to the efforts of the government. Addressing a press conference about the budget in Jaipur today, Ms Sitharaman said that to reduce inflation, incentives have been given on pulses, import duty has been reduced on many food items and edible oil so that imports can be convenient and cheap.<br />''<br />''The Finance Minister said that the Reserve Bank has also increased the repo rate to control inflation. All types of loans have definitely become expensive, but at the same time the middle class is also getting good interest on their savings.<br />''<br />''Replying to a question about the freebies by various states, the Finance Minister said that if the financial condition of the states is allowed and provision has been made in the budget, then the state governments can run such schemes. But taking loans from outside and without making provision in the budget, such schemes are not appropriate for the state. Referring to the centrally-sponsored Schemes, Ms Sitharaman said that equal assistance is being given to the states, but now the method of allocating funds has been changed. The head for which the funds are being given to the states, now they have to spend money on the same head.<br />''<br />'' In response to a question regarding bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST, the Finance Minister said that the decision has to be taken by the GST Council. If the Council takes a call, a decision can be taken on it. In response to a question related to the various allegations leveled by the Congress and other Opposition parties in the last Parliament session, the Finance Minister said that if the Congress and other Opposition parties made allegations, they should have heard the answers as well. But whenever the answer was given by the government, the Opposition parties used to walk out. </span>