No extra time for CAS roll-out: HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court refused to grant more time to multi-system operators for implementing Conditional Access System on Tuesday.

The court also asked them to stick to the December 31 deadline for implementing the new system.

Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, we are of the opinion not to alter or vary the July 20 order in this regard at this stage, a Bench comprising Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Hema Kohli said.

"We, however hold that extra time cannot be granted as the said scheme is to be implemented from December 31, 2006, " the Bench said.

Conditional Access System (CAS) would give cable TV viewers the option of picking and watching channels of their choice through a set-top box and pay only for those channels.

The Bench also gave the Star Broadband Services Pvt Ltd, a Management Service Organisation (MSO), which is one of the petitioners, to apply to the Government for reconsidering the case.

Star Services Broadband Pvt Ltd and an NGO, Shakti, have filed applications seeking extra time on the ground that they were working on the infrastructure issue, as laying out the fibre optic cable for implementing CAS was not completed.

The High Court had earlier, on July 20 directed the Centre to implement CAS in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

The court had granted 22 weeks time to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to implement it in the three of the four metros, as CAS is already operational in Chennai.