A senior Maharashtra government official today said that a meeting with Sarin Roy, the chief secretary of West Bengal, and AK Mukhopadyay, additional chief secretary, was held today where the modalities of the joint effort were worked out.
Roy had last month written to the Union government on behalf of the West Bengal government, pointing out that CAS would only benefit the industry (read pay television channels) and not consumers.
He pointed out that cable operators felt CAS would impact their business adversely, adding that the availability of set-top boxes also needed to be addressed.
Another reason being cited to make out a case for delaying CAS is the need to arrive at a political consensus amongst regional political parties in the two states.
According to the official, the attempts were aimed at delaying the implementation of the CAS system till the brass tacks of the new mechanism are clearly known.
The postponement of plans to start CAS in New Delhi by the Union government has also been a point of issue for cities that are protesting its implementation.
