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Sheila to take up CAS issue with I&B Ministry

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI DEC. 16 . Asserting that it would not be found wanting as far as interests of subscribers with regard to the Conditional Access System (CAS) was concerned, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today indicated that she would take up the matter with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Stating that the Delhi Government would implement the High Court order and educate subscribers about the CAS regime, Ms. Dikshit to be addressed along with awareness.

Ms. Dikshit said the Delhi Government, as a part of its responsibility, has decided to carry out an educational programme for consumers about the CAS regime. A big publicity campaign will be kicked off from tomorrow to create awareness among the masses but our reservations on various aspects of CAS remain. The Chief Minister said she would be writing to the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, about the failure of the Central Government to once again take the people into confidence on the implementation of CAS regime in South Delhi. Stating that the Government was bound to implement the court order, the Chief Minister said that it was the duty of the Central Government to make this thing known to the people of Delhi. In addition to this, cable operators should be asked to make public their rates of the various channels as well as the set- top boxes and stop the blackmailing tactics adopted by them during the recent days.

Questioning the stand of the BJP-led Central Government on the issue, Ms. Dikshit said it was strange that days before the Assembly polls, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, flanked by the Delhi BJP leaders, had announced the deferment of the CAS regime in Delhi but now there is no word on it from both the BJP and its Central Government. No effort was being made by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to put an end to the blackmail being indulged in by cable operators. "We are under orders from the court to help in implementation of CAS in Delhi. However, it is the job of the Central Government to take people into confidence on the issue but no such thing has happened,'' she stated.

At the same time, the Chief Minister said that there was also confusion on the type of technology that was sought to be introduced under this regime. There is also talk of the Direct- to- Home (DTH) system being introduced from April next year. Then why should the people be forced to share the financial burden of two technologies within such a short span? It seems there is total confusion in the Ministry with regard to the new CAS regime and the people are being kept in the dark about the various aspects of this new technology that has led to the harassment of consumers in the Capital. The Central Government should take all aspects, including the interests of, consumers into consideration before implementing CAS in other parts of the Capital.

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