This is indicated in a booklet on QRs brought out by the commerce and industry ministry and circulated to members of the Parliamentary consultative committee for the ministry at a meeting which was presided by Maran on Wednesday.

The minister will also have a presentation of the Commission which is under the industry ministry on Friday. The aim is to examine whether the mandate of the commission can be redefined in the wake of removal of QRs on the remaining 715 tariff lines by March 31, 2001.

It is felt that there is need for an institutional mechanism to study, analyse and recommend an appropriate duty structure to maintain a balance between domestic producers and consumers.

The booklet says that the basic customs duty has been raised on several agro items from April 5 this year - rice in the husk (paddy or rough) from zero to 80 per cent, husked (brown) rice from zero to 80 per cent, semi-milled or wholly milled rice whether or not polished or glazed from zero to 70 per cent, broken rice from zero to 80 per cent.

The other farm goods on which the duty has been increased are maize (corn) from zero to 50 per cent,grain sorghum from zero to 50 per cent, millet from zero to 50 oper cent, spelt from zero to 50 per cent, fresh grapes from 25 to 50 per cent, apples from 35 to 50 per cent and on preparations for infant use in retail pack from 15 to 35 per cent.

Further, the basic customs duty (beyond the tariff rate quota) on milk powder has been revised to 60 per cent from zero per cent from June 12, 2000.The duty structure has been calibrated in each case to ensure a balance between the interest of the domestic producers as well as that of the consumers, the booklet indicates.

Maran has stated that imports are being closely monitored and the government will ensure through the appropriate use of all available mechanisms to ensure that imports do not cause any injury to the domestic poducers, including agriculture and SSIs.