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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government is taking a lot of steps to control inflation and will continue to focus on it. She stated ‘We have taken a lot of steps, for example, encouraging farmers to sow pulses so that the production of pulses in India increases in the coming sowing season.’

Further, she said that as a short-term step, ‘wherever we are importing, whether Masoor, Moong or whatever pulses, the government has reduced the import duty to single digit or has completely removed it. It has made imports convenient and pulses are available quickly and cheaply in India.’

She mentioned said the import of edible oil has been made almost free (tax) for the last three consecutive years, due to which palm crude or palm refined oil has also been (route) opened so that the supply of edible oil is easy and sufficient. The wholesale price-based inflation declined to a 2-year low of 4.73 per cent in January on easing prices of manufactured items, fuel and power, even though food articles turned expensive.