The state government will have to report to the Centre on what stand the state takes on CAS as the three day period it had sought expires on Wednesday. The West Bengal chief secretary was also scheduled to meet with cable operators this evening to try and resolve the issue.

In Mumbai on the other hand, a team led by a joint secretary of the information and broadcasting ministry is also slated to meet with state government officials regarding CAS today.

The outcome of the meetings is not known yet. But a government source stated that both Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and deputy chief minister have opined that CAS should not be shoved down Mumbaikars' throats. Apparently, the Congress (I) in the state too is believed to be veering towards the view that CAS should be postponed. An announcement to this is effect is expected to be made in the next 48 hours.

While MSOs like Incablenet have offered several attractive packages to entice the consumer in the grace period, the citizen is not biting. As a result, the city is comfortably watching all pay channels at the earlier rates with no fears of a blackout for at least nine more days or till Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the most stringent opponent of CAS in the city, issues another diktat.