Question : FUNCTIONING OF CABLE OPERATORS

(a) the regulatory mechanism in place to check/review/regulate the functioning of cable operators in the country;

(b) whether complaints have been received by the Government against the cable operators for violating the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act;

(c) if so, the details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise including Punjab alongwith the action taken in each case;

(d) whether there are reports that many cable operators have laid down fibre cables without any approval; and

(e) if so, the details thereof alongwith the action taken thereon, State-wise including Punjab?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING (SHRI C. M. JATUA)

(a): The Cable operators are regulated as per the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the rules made thereunder.

(b)and (c) : The Government has been receiving complaints from different parts of the country including the State of Punjab regarding violations of the various provisions specifically programme and advertisement codes and mandatory provisions for carriage of DD channels by the cable operators. All such complaints are forwarded to the Authorized Officers, who are District Magistrates, Sub Divisional Magistrates and Commissioner of Police, for taking action under the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the rules thereto as they are sufficiently empowered to take action under the Act. Therefore no statistics of such complaints is being maintained by the Ministry

(d) and (e): Neither the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and nor the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 have provided for the provisions of right of way and procedure for laying down the cable by the cable service providers. However Section 9 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 casts an obligation and duty on the Cable operators to use standard equipment(s) in the cable television network.

Cable operators are required to seek necessary permissions/approval for laying cable /optical fibre cables from the competent local authorities or local self Government /Municipality etc. under the local laws in this regard. Since the matter fall within the domain of local administration/State Governments, no such records are being maintained at the level of this Ministry.