Actor-politician Hema Malini posed a rather curious query in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday, wanting to know if the government intended to protect an industry whose product she endorses along with her two daughters.

Malini, who endorses the water purifiers of Kent with Ahana and Esha Deol, asked the finance minister if the government intended to protect the interests of those manufacturers who use the reverse osmosis technology.

Is the government considering imposing zero duty on components and parts used in manufacturing reverse osmosis-based water purifiers to bring them on par with finished products? the Rajya Sabha member asked.

In reply, Minister of State for Finance S.S. Palanimanickam said: 'The government is not considering at present any proposal for reduction of excise duty on components and parts of reverse osmosis-based water purifiers.'

He said that with regard to competition faced due to import of such purifiers, there is protection for domestic products in the form of 10 percent customs duty on household-type purifiers.

On other purifiers there is a 7.5 percent duty. This apart, the government also levies an additional countervailing duty of four percent, Palanimanickam informed the upper house.

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