Chennai, Dec 16 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Sunday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to direct the ministry of information and broadcasting to issue the digital addressable system licence to a state-government owned cable TV corporation.
In a letter to Singh, the text of which was released to the media here, Jayalalithaa said the multi-system operator Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation had applied for the licence July 5 but the issue is till pending.
"It is learnt that the ministry of information and broadcasting has issued the digital addressable system licence to nine other multi-system operators (MSO) in Tamil Nadu, including those who applied after the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Ltd.," Jayalalithaa added.
She said the digital addressable system licence has not been issued to Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable despite a team of parliament members belonging to AIADMK meeting Manmohan Singh Nov 29 and giving a representation on the matter.
"However, the digital addressable system licence is yet to be issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting," she said.
"It is pertinent to mention here that the...Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has also passed orders Dec 6 that the process of issue of licence to Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation may go on and the licence may also be issued", the letter notes.
According to Jayalalithaa, a delegation led by AIADMK MP M.Thambidurai had earlier met Ambika Soni, the then union minister for information and broadcasting, Oct 26 and also Manish Tewari, the present minister on Nov 27.
She said the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable provides 100 channels at Rs.70 per month for subscribers and to 23,000 local cable operators. At least six million subscribers are availing its services.
The company is the single largest multi-system operator (MSO) in the country offering its services at the lowest rate across the state, she added.
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