New Delhi, May 28: Congress today demanded deferment of the implementation of the Conditional Access System saying it would be a costly affair for common consumers. "Congress party is very much concerned about the possibility of consumers having to pay much more after July 15, 2003 that they are paying now....the party demands that the implementation of the CAS be postponed", party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters.
He said at the time of the passage of the Cable and Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002, the then information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj had assured the Congress party that consumers would be benefitted by receiving a bouquet of channels at prices less than what the cable operators were charging.
Beside, she had also indicated that the set-top-box would be supplied to the consumer at less than Rs 2,000 through which they will receive a bouquet of channels, both 'free to air’ and ‘pay’, Reddy said adding that it now transpires that digital set-top boxes were likely to cost Rs 4,500-6,000.
He said the ultimate objective in the context of which the bill was conceived and passed seems to have lost its sight and demanded deferment of the bill till the outstanding issues set out by the congress party were fully sorted out and "consumers are assured of the availability of a bouquet of channels, both free to air and pay, at affordable prices".
Asked about party stand on DTH, he said "we are for DTH, but we are for immediate establishment of a convergence authority to regulate the bill". Bureau Report