(a) whether the Government have set up an Inter-Ministerial Group to study the likely impact of Liberalisation of Import on Indian Industry;
(b) if so, the terms and reference of this Study Group;
(c) whether the Group has conducted any studies in this regard; and
(
(d) if so, the outcome thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI OMAR ABDULLAH )
(a) to (d) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS ( a ) to ( d ) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 194, TO BE ANSWERED ON 1.12.2000 REGARDING LIBERALISATION OF IMPORT
(a) to (d) : Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Group under the chairmanship of Commerce Secretary on 28.07.2000, to assess the likely impact of removal of quantitative restrictions and to suggest suitable corrective measures.
The Group has already met twice on 17.8.2000 and on 8.9.2000, and made some interim recommendations. Based on these recommendations the following steps to regulate imports have already been notified through Notification No. 44 ( RE - 2000)/97-2002 dated 24.11.2000.
1. Import of all packaged commodities has been made subject to compliance of all the conditions of the Standards of Weights and Measures ( Packaged Commodity ) Order, 1977, as applicable on domestic producers.
2. Import of 131 products has been made subject to compliance of the mandatory Indian quality standards as applicable to domestic goods. For compliance of this requirement all manufacturers / exporters of these products to India shall be required to register themselves with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The list of 131 products includes various food preservatives and additives, milk powder, infant milk food, certain kinds of cement, house hold and similar electrical appliances, gas cylinders and multipurpose dry batteries.