TV subscribers without set-top boxes lose cable services

Mumbai: Services of cable TV subscribers, who failed to meet the deadline of December 31 to install set-top boxes (STB) for their television units have been stopped, Maharashtra Revenue minister Eknath Khadse said on Friday.

Initially, September 30, 2014 had been the deadline before which the cable TV digitisation Phase III programme of the Centre and the state government was to be implemented.

"When the programme could not be implemented, going by the Centre's instructions, we extended the date to December 31, 2015. We had been time and again asking people to install set-top boxes for their TV sets by which the Analogue system could be modified into a digital one," Mr Khadse told reporters here.

He said despite extending the deadline, certain cable service providers, multi-system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) failed to comply with the TV digitisation programme of the government.

"Thus, cable connection of all those who have not met the deadline of December 31 to install a set-top box for their TV sets has been stopped from today."

In another decision by the Revenue Department, Mr Khadse said the Government has decided to defer any revision in Ready Reckoner (RR) rates till March-end.

"We received requests from several quarters to revise the RR rates from the next financial year. Taking into account their requests, we decided to change RR rates only from April 1," he said.

RR is an annual statement of rates based on which the stamps and registration department collects stamp duty from property buyers.