New Delhi : The government has reiterated that it is open to the cable operators' proposal for allowing conditional access system (CAS). But it will assess all its implications vis-a-vis the subscriber before taking a decision, according to Mr Y N Chaturvedi, secretary, Information and Broadcasting. Mr Chaturvedi said this while addressing a conference organised by the BBC here on Wednesday.Said Mr Chaturvedi that the I&B minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, was agreeable to the proposal but the financial burden on the consumer has to be looked into. Mr Chaturvedi said that it's wrong to say that the government is delaying a decision on CAS. He said the ministry expected a formal proposal within two days and would be consulting other sections of the broadcasting industry on the matter. On the issue of affordability, Mr Kiran Karnik, head of the Discovery channel in India, said the consumer will have to pay more than the monthly Rs 115-125, that one is paying now.
Mr Probir Bose, a representative of the cable industry, said though the CAS would have repercussions in view of affordability, it would make things easier for the viewer, the government and the cable operator.
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