PANAJI: North Goa collector Agnelo Fernandes on Thursday did not rule out blackout of telecast of certain programmes on assembly elections by local cable TV operators.
Addressing a press conference after holding a meeting with cable TV operators, Fernandes said that all cable TV operators in the state have to register their businesses with the postal department.
He said that instructions have been issued to the information department to release a comprehensive press note for the general awareness with all technical information for installing set-top boxes as part of cable TV digitalisation.
Officers from civil supplies, information and weights and measures departments and consumer activist Roland Martins of Goacan also attended the meeting.
The basic idea is to create awareness and monitor cable TV operators who have been urging consumers to install set-top boxes, Fernandes said.
It has been alleged that the boxes are tempered with, and they don’t carry details about MRP rate and importer’s name.
Fernandes urged the consumers to install the boxes containing ISI marks and get receipts and operators’ contact numbers after the registration so as keep a watch on the errant operators.
Consumers must get genuine and undisturbed television services, he observed.
Exhorting the consumers to strictly pay MRP for the boxes, he said that standard set-top boxes are sold for Rs 1500 while high-definition ones are available for Rs 2500.
Martins, who was also present at the press conference, said that on many occasions telecast of certain political developments are blocked or suddenly telecast of important news is blacked out.
The consumer has the right to watch and see every politician’s programme and if certain telecast is blacked out then it amounts to denial of consumer’s right.
This right for choice is enshrined in the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
Martins urged the North Goa collector to apprise the TRAI, Bangalore, of the status of the cable TV digitalisation process in the state.
Goacan has strongly stressed on mandatory telecast of proceedings of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha to Goan viewers.