The Hindu : Try out CAS in Delhi, says Thackeray

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 15, 2003

National

National

Try out CAS in Delhi, says Thackeray

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI June 14. The Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thackeray, wants the Centre to "experiment" with the Conditional Access System (CAS) in New Delhi and exclude other cities, including Mumbai, from the list of four metros.

Further, he said he was against anything that would "burden" the cable operators and consumers.

This was conveyed by a statement, after an impression was given out that a meeting between him and Union Minister for Broadcasting, Ravi Shankar Prasad, had led to the Shiv Sena backing out from its opposition to CAS. "Nothing came out of it", Mr. Thackeray said referring to the meeting.

The Shiv Sena had told Mr. Prasad, who was accompanied by Sudhindra Kulkarni, an aide to the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, that simply because the Central Government had made up its mind, it did not necessarily mean that the Sena, would accept it.

In fact, "we are firm," a Sena source said, adding " the boss was irked".

Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi are the four major metros short-listed for the implementation of CAS from July 15 and Mr. Thackeray is convinced that a London-based businessman is in league with the decision-makers to dump the television set-top boxes on consumers.

When television channels — seen as vested interests in the issue of CAS — had suggested that Mr. Thackeray had watered down his opposition to it, he issued a late-night statement.

Though he did not make his views as conveyed to the Union Minister known, the newscasts apparently provoked him to reveal his stand.

Earlier, Mr. Prasad asked consumer bodies not to oppose CAS, as it was a step in the direction of regulating the cable television industry.

"Consumer wants transparency, and CAS will provide it. Any opposition to it would harm consumers and the TV industry."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National