| Dropping broad hints that one may write off CAS for
good, the official added, "The decision on Delhi, as also the
rest of the country, would have to be taken at the highest level (of
the government). The information and broadcasting ministry alone cannot
take a final decision on the issue."
It may be recalled that Delhi was taken off the CAS rollout map
of four metros earlier this year by the government on the pleas
that introduction of addressability before the assembly elections,
which took place yesterday, would complicate matters during the
polls. Subsequently, Delhi was de-notified from the CAS roadmap.
This was done by the government as the ruling Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) Delhi unit head and chief ministerial aspirant, Madan
Lal Khurana, had convinced the top leadership of the party that
introduction of CAS before the polls would dampen the poll prospectus
of the party. Now, with exit polls, being aired on TV channels,
showing that the Union territory of Delhi would be retained by the
Congress Party and Khurana and Co. have little chance of coming
to power, the cable industry had thought the central government
would push ahead with CAS in Delhi.
In this regard, some cable operators and representatives of multi-system
operators (MSOs) are slated to meet up with I&B ministry officials
tomorrow.
However, the official pointed out that the government would have
to notify again Delhi and be "pro-active" to push ahead
with CAS. But with the opposition to CAS continuing in Mumbai too
(Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and the Sena-backed cable operators
are still against CAS), it is "unlikely
that the (CAS) fire would be lighted again after it has been extinguished
effectively," the official explained.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Delhi high court is yet
to pronounce its verdict on a case filed by Zee Telefilms cable
arm Siti Cable and a clutch of other parties against the government.
The plea had been that after having goaded the cable industry into
investing in infrastructure for a post-CAS regime, especially in
set-top boxes, the government
backtracking in Delhi, and elsewhere, has resulted in financial
loss to cable companies.
Meanwhile, the government admitted today that as per data furnished
by the Customs department, two lakh STBs have come into the country.
|
