Members of the Andhra Pradesh Rural MSO Cable Operators Association on Sunday demanded that the government initiate immediate steps for implementation of licence policy for the cable sector.
The association members met at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in the city and discussed thread-bare the problems confronting the fraternity. Their other demands include cancellation of pole tax, implementation of loan facility, recognition of the cable operation system as cottage industry, conversion of the category-2 power meters into category 3 power meters and setting up of a welfare board and allocation of funds for its effective functioning.
The members submitted a memorandum of their demands to Andhra Pradesh Government's chief whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and urged him to impress upon Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to look into their woes.
Rally taken out
A rally taken out by the association members from Gymkhana Grounds was flagged off by Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu. It culminated in a meeting.
Addressing the meeting, State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) B.V. Raghavulu said cable system had ushered in revolutionary changes in the entertainment sector. Bringing into its fold the entire country, it reached out to the remote rural pockets to inform and entertain the entertainment-starved and ignorant masses. He said while it was essential to welcome changes in the sector to keep pace with time, modifications that were detrimental to the interests of people must be opposed. He said currently, the cable operators were jostling with problems and the government must take note of the issues and do the needful.
State secretary of Communist Party of India (CPI) K. Narayana said the cable operators had been doing a commendable job of reaching out to the masses in the remotest of areas. He said the government must protect the interests of the cable operators and mooted ESI, PF and retirement benefits for the fraternity.
Cine director Tammareddy Bhardwaj, TDP MLA Gopalakrishna Reddy and others were present.
