HYDERABAD: In a major relief to cable TV viewers in Telangana, the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Central government to continue the present cable TV transmission system i.e. without having set top boxes (STBs) for another two months. The STBs are meant for converting the analog television viewing to digital.
Justice Vilas V Afzulpurkar was passing this interim order in a petition filed by the Federation of Telangana MSOs (Multi System Operators), the society represented by its president M Subhash Reddy, seeking directions to the Centre for providing necessary infrastructure by supplying requisite number of STBs to the citizens for implementation of the new cable network system i.e. Digital Addressable System (DAS) in the areas of Telangana covered under phase-III of the notification issued by the Centre in November 2011.
Petitioner’s counsel C Ramachandra Raju contended that the Central government has no power to introduce the new cable TV transmission system i.e. DAS without providing necessary infrastructure i.e. supply of required number of STBs to the viewers. Unfortunately, the Centre is going ahead with the implementation of DAS with effect from December 31. Of the total 26 lakh TV sets having cable connections in Telangana, only 15 percent of the subscribers have installed the STBs to their TV sets. There is a shortage of STBs in Hyderabad city also. Due to the Centre’s decision, about 85 percent of the TV viewers would be deprived of their fundamental right of getting information and their TVs would be totally paralysed for want of STBs from Dec 31 onwards, he argued.
The counsel further submitted that it is the statutory duty of the Centre to ensure the requisite supply of STBs by purchasing them either from local or from the foreign manufacturers to meet the demand. As indigenous production of STBs is very low, the MSOs are compelled to import them from foreign countries particularly from China, he added.
He urged the Court to issue directions to the authorities of the state and the Centre to maintain status quo in respect of existing cable network system in the areas of Telangana state covered under phase-III.
Intervening, Justice Afzulpurkar questioned as to how the court would intervene in the case again when a division bench of the Court had earlier passed orders on the STBs issue.
In reply, Ramachandra Raju said that the earlier order pertains to the installation of STBs in the areas covered under phase-II notification. The judge noticed absence of the counsel representing the Centre in the case.
Taking the submissions made by the petitioner’s counsel into consideration, the judge extended the deadline for installation of set top boxes to TV sets in Telangana by another two months.
While adjourning the case by four weeks, the judge issued notices to the secretary to ministry of information and broadcasting for filing counter affidavit in the case.Meanwhile, the federation of AP MSOs also filed a petition in the High Court challenging the Centre’s decision on STBs issue. The matter is expected to come up for hearing on Thursday.