Sources told PTI that according to an estimate, till date Set Top Boxes (STBs) had been planted in around 30 per cent of the cable viewing house holds.
"While the pace of seeding of the STBs is encouraging and is being constantly monitored, it is also being realised that out of the four metros, some seem in a better position than others to meet the target date," a senior official said.
According to ministry figures as on May 25, of the estimated 32 lakh cable subscribers in Mumbai, nearly 12 lakh had already installed STBs. In Delhi with over 40 lakh subscribers, the number of STBs installed was around 8 lakhs.
However only a fifth of Kolkata's over 30 lakh cable subscribers have yet acquired STBs. In Chennai, the percentage was just 12.5 percent with 2.5 lakh subscribers installing STBs out of a total of 20 lakh.
"The ministry may therefore examine separately the case of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to check whether there is a need to extend the deadline," the official added.
Sources said that if in any case a need is felt to extend the deadline, it would be city specific and not a blanket deadline applying to all the four metros.