Cable TV strike from today, truckers next

Cable operators will go on an indefinite strike from tomorrow against the 10 per cent service tax imposed on cable network companies in the Union budget for 2004-05.

The strike comes just days after transporters announced that they would go on an indefinite nationwide strike from August 21 over the issue.

The cable operators' strike has been called by the All India Cable TV Forum. Some of the cable network companies that are part of the forum are Hathway, SITI Cable, IN Cable, RPG , Trinity, Cable Operators United Front and the Forum of Cable Operators.

These cable operators have decided to block all channels to the country's 45 million cable and satellite homes. However, they will show news channels for four hours in the morning.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram in his Budget had brought cable network companies into the service tax net. The strike comes even though the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India lifted the freeze on cable television subscription rates to accommodate service tax and other local taxes.

"Cable operators are being forced by the government to increase the subscription from consumers as at present they are not collecting any tax from the public and subscribers till now. All the tax is being paid from the collection of the cable operator," Jawahar Goel, vice-chairman, Siti Cable, said today.

Goel also said service tax on cable television was not justified as it was an entertainment industry and no other sector of the industry was subject to a similar service tax. It was also pointed out that cable operators do not have the infrastructure to collect the tax.

Meanwhile, the All India Transporters and Truckers United Front today reiterated its decision to go an indefinite strike from August 21 after its representatives failed to secure a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi today.

"Starting from August 16, we will stop booking deliveries beyond 1000 km and from August 17, bookings will be restricted only to a 500 km radius," said R K Gulati, joint general secretary, All India Transporters' Welfare Association.