The Capital has achieved 100 per cent target in installation of set-top boxes for digitalisation of television transmission, said State Chief Secretary P. K. Tripathi on Friday.
He claimed complete success in the switchover of cable users from the existing Analogue Cable Television Network to Digital Addressable System (DAS). In all, he added, 33.41 lakh households in the city possess television sets, showing a penetration of 88 per cent. Out of these, 22.98 lakh households had cable TV connections and in these 23.21 lakh cable TV set-top boxes have already been installed.
The Union Government had taken the decision to switch off the existing analogue cable television signals to make them shift to DAS. The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,1995, has accordingly been amended. The Amendment Act provides, inter-alia, for mandatory switch-over of the existing analogue cable television networks to DAS in Delhi by October 31.
The DAS system essentially means that all television channels on cable networks will henceforth be in digital (encrypted form) and a consumer/viewer of cable television will require a set-top box to be attached to a TV set to watch programs.
Meanwhile, Delhi Government has appointed District Magistrates and all Sub-Divisional Magistrates as authorised officers within their local limits of jurisdiction, for the purposes of section 11,18 and 19 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,1995.
People can lodge complaints regarding carrying signal in analogue with the concerned area SDM. The contact numbers and e-mail addresses of the SDMs are available on the website of the Divisional Commissioner, Delhi.
The Chief Secretary said the Department of Excise, Entertainment and Luxury Taxes has also set up a control room to receive the complaints regarding over-charging for providing set-top box and any such complaints related to implementation of DAS.
The Control Room will be headed by Assistant Entertainment Tax Officer and all the complaints would be forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner for taking necessary action.
