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Tag: Assam

  • Resolution in sight for Guwahati electricity pole charge dispute

    Resolution in sight for Guwahati electricity pole charge dispute

    MUMBAI: The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) and Greater Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association (GGCTOA) are finally coming to a resolution over payment of a fee for use of electricity poles in Guwahati.

     

    The issue first cropped up in September 2013, after the APDCL decided to charge cable TV operators in Guwahati for using electric poles to lay cable wires.

     

    The first step towards resolution of the issue was taken on 6 March, when representatives from APDCL and GGCTOA met and agreed to together conduct a survey to ascertain the number of electricity poles in the Guwahati region.

     

    It can be recalled that when GGCTOA moved the Guwahati High Court on the issue of APDCL’s decision to levy a charge for use of electricity poles, the court had asked the GGCTOA to pay Rs 10 per electricity pole per month for the period 22 January to 28 February.

    The last date for the payment of the fee as directed by the high court was 26 February.

     

    APDCL had thereafter said cable operators are using a total of 33,000 electricity poles in Guwahati. The GGCTOA challenged APDCL’s claim and demanded that a joint survey be conducted on the number of electricity poles being used by cable operators.

     

    Even after the court directive, the settlement of the dispute was not a smooth affair. The GGCTOA paid Rs 1 lakh of the Rs 3 lakh that they had to pay the APDCL in compliance with the HC order. The association, however, threatened to disconnect cable TV signals on 25 February to press for a survey of electricity poles in Guwahati. Assam’s power minister Pradyut Bordoloi intervened and also granted more time for the association to pay the balance charges to APDCL as directed by the court.

     

    “We now have time until 15 March to clear the electric pole fee,” informs GGCTOA general secretary Md Iquebal Ahmed.

     

    APDCL and GGCTOA will start a joint survey from Monday, 10 March to ascertain the number of electricity poles being used by cable operators.

     

    “In the meeting that was held on Thursday, we have suggested two rates to the APDCL: Rs 10 per electric pole, where we will have exclusive collection rights to collect electric pole fee from the cable operator and also the other players including the telecom and ISPs or Rs 6 per electric pole, in which we will not have any such exclusive right and will pay to the APDCL for using the electric pole for laying cable TV wires,” said Ahmed.

     

    The GGCTOA has also requested the APDCL to come out with payment modalities for the association. “APDCL expects us to collect the fee from the cable operators. For all this, we will need to deploy a work force. We have asked the electricity board to work out a formula which will help us pay wages to these members involved in survey and collection of electric pole fee,” he said.

     

    The association has agreed to pay electricity pole charge for 10,000 poles on adhoc basis for the month of March until the joint survey is completed.

     

    Not only this, the APDCL also needs to specify the safety measures the cable operators’ association needs to take. “While they have asked us to bear the expenses of the safety equipments needed for the safety and security of the electrical wires, we have asked them to provide us the specifications of the design and the estimated expense. We will decide on whether we will alone bear the expense or will share the expenses with APDCL, after they give us the estimates,” said Ahmed.

  • EMFA seeks hike in govt. ad rates

    EMFA seeks hike in govt. ad rates

    MUMBAI: It’s rare that a private body appreciates the government whole-heartedly. But recently The Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) appreciated the State government’s decision to hike government-sponsored advertisement rates for newspapers by 60 per cent over the existing rate. The forum announced it in a statement.

     

    However, the Forum has also urged the Assam government to enhance government- sponsored advertisement contributions to the State-based satellite news channels.

     

    Earlier, the representatives from the State government and newspaper owners’ association in presence of State information & public relations minister Basanta Das met to get an assurance from the government to hike the advertisement rates with effect from January 1, 2014.

     

    The news channels in Assam are registered as ‘free to air’ and are more dependant on advertisements for their survival. And thus, the forum has been asking the government to consider improved rate of advertisements for news channels too.

     

    In the release, EMFA mentioned: News channel managements should use the enhanced fund for the benefit of their employees with structured salaries, other allowances, PF and ESI benefits.

  • Why Assam cable operators are going on strike?

    Why Assam cable operators are going on strike?

    MUMBAI: It was in September that the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) sent out its first circular, making it mandatory for cable operators in the state to pay Rs 25 per electric pole per month, with the deadline being 7 October. However, the cable operators had requested APDCL to lower the rate as they would earn revenue from many other service providers who are using the electric poles as well.

     

    But all their efforts seem to have gone in vain as the APDCL seems unconvinced on the issue. After reviewing the request made by the operators in October, while APDCL has reserved its views on the other parts of Assam and lower Guwahati, it has asked the operators in Guwahati Metro to pay Rs 25 per electric pole every month starting 15 January.

     

    The decision which was taken in a meeting held on 17 December is set to affect more than 250 cable operators providing cable TV service in Guwahati Metro area. The operators represented by Greater Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association (GGCTOA) general secretary Md Iquebal Ahmed were asked to file a confirmation letter accepting the fee module.

     

    However, while they didn’t follow what they were asked to, around 100 cable operators met on 19 December to discuss the issue and have decided to switch off cable TV signals today from 4 pm – 9 pm.

     

    Apparently, GGCTOA held a press conference on Sunday and made an announcement about the same.

     

    The operators in Guwahati Metro area have refused to pay Rs 25 per pole per month. “Though we have been told that the electric poles will be given exclusively to us and that we can even give it to advertisers to put up hoardings, or collect revenue from the broadband or telecom operators who are also using the pole, but this is all verbal. Nothing has been given to us in writing,” informs Ahmed.

     

    There are approximately 2.8 lakh electric poles in Guwahati Metro area, of which around 1.8 lakh poles are being used by the cable operators. The matter is currently being handled by APDCL Lower Assam division CGM commercial P. Buzarbauah. “We need a written agreement of all that has been proposed in the meeting. When we asked for it, we were asked to sign the letter first. But, how can we be sure that whatever has been said will be followed later,” he says.

     

    Also the APDCL has given no clarity on who will be collecting the money from the operators and also the advertiser who uses the electric pole to put the hoarding. GGCTOA has also requested the APDCL to directly deal with operators to collect the fee. “We had asked them to sign an agreement with each cable operator, so that they can directly be made responsible for payment or non-payment of the fee. But, the APDCL is passing the buck on to us,” informs Ahmed.

     

    “According to what the body has proposed, it is GGCTOA which will need to collect the pole fee from operators and submit it to APDCL. But how am I responsible if say of the three operators who are using the pole for laying cable wires, two pay the electric pole usage fee, while one doesn’t? So we are demanding that the APDCL signs an agreement with operators directly and not hold us responsible,” he adds.

     

    After waiting for almost two months, while decision is still pending for other regions of Assam, Guwahati Metro region cable operators are surely unhappy. “We even plan to meet Assam Industries & Commerce, Power (Electricity) and Public Enterprises minister Pradyut Bordoloi and also chief minister Tarun Gogoi in order to resolve the issue,” concludes Ahmed.

     

  • British Indian film festival to focus on women

    British Indian film festival to focus on women

    MUMBAI: As part of its tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema, this year the annual London Asian Film Festival (LAFF) will focus on the journey of women in films.

    The 15th installment of the festival organised by Tongues on Fire Limited will kick off with an opening gala screening of Listen… Amaya at the British Film Institute in London on 7 March.

    "The entire focus of this year‘s line-up is on the woman‘s gauge. We were keen to look at the centenary of Indian cinema through the eyes of women, both behind and in front of the camera," said festival director Pushpinder Chowdhry (as quoted in the media).

    "From the very first film, Raja Harishchandra – which had no female actors – to the modern day, it has not been an easy ride. But it is in spite of all the hurdles that women have made their mark and this year‘s festival is a celebration of that journey," she added.

    The wide selection for LAFF 2013 offers a mix of new independent films, recent thought-provoking ones and some old classics.

    A retrospective thread from 11 March to be held at the Nehru Centre will include a director‘s workshop with Gauri Shinde, the debutante director of English Vinglish.

    As part of its annual Beyond Borders theme, films from the US, Sri Lanka, Assam, Pakistan and Britain are also among those being showcased alongside entries from India.

    The festival will end on 17 March with the screening of filmmaker Anurag Basu‘s award-winning Barfi!

  • OMG collects Rs 159.4 million in opening weekend

    OMG collects Rs 159.4 million in opening weekend

    MUMBAI: OMG Oh My God! has been much appreciated thus creating good word of mouth for the film which in turn has helped soar its collections over the weekend to Rs 159.4 million.

    The movie collected Rs 34.8 million on Friday, Rs 58.1 million on Sunday and Rs 66.5 million on Sunday.

    While Gujarat contributed the most to its kitty, collections in East Punjab were affected as the film‘s screening was stopped by the local administration at a couple of centres after objections from activists.

    Their demand was to trim certain sections of the film which, however, amounted to over 35 minutes and would have rendered the film senseless. The figures were also affected to some degree due to India Pakistan T20 match on Sunday.

    The film collected Rs 159.4 million (which does not include West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and other eastern territories) in its opening weekend. The film remained steady as the week began and is expected to get some added advantage due to a national holiday on 2 October.

    Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal, poor in content, was poor at box office as well. The film collected Rs 44 million during its first weekend.

    Heroine was not appreciated and the collections dropped as the week progressed. The film, which collected Rs 245 million for the weekend, managed to collect just Rs 331 million for the first week.

    Barfi! was excellent in its second week with figures of Rs 242.5 million taking its two week tally to Rs 828.5 million.

    Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal was out of contention after the second week.

    Raaz3 pulled in Rs 22 million in its third week despite new oppositions to take its three week total to Rs 713 million.

  • ‘MTV Hero Honda Roadies 4’ kicks off its audition round

    ‘MTV Hero Honda Roadies 4’ kicks off its audition round

    MUMBAI: MTV India has announced the launch of the audition for the fourth season of MTV Hero Honda Roadies, the adventure-reality show.

    The auditions will be held in five cities; Mumbai (6 August), Kolkata (10 August), Chandigarh (13 August), Lucknow (16 August) and Delhi (18 August) where their wits, their guts and their attitude will be put to the test.

    MTV Hero Honda Roadies Season 4 will flag off from Kovalam, 16 kms from Thiruvananthapuram on 2 August. The 13 young adventurers will begin the toughest ride of their lives working their way up through Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and the North East (Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim) and winding up in Gangtok. That’s almost 8500 kms in 40 days on the sports bike, the Hero Honda Karizma.

    This year, the reel-life veteran villain of Bollywood Gulshan Grover will come in at strategic intervals during the trip to do what he does best – make the lives of the finalists even more difficult.

    Loosely based on MTV US’ hit reality show Road Rules, MTV Hero Honda Roadies was launched in 2003. The show tests the mettle of a young group traveling cross country on bikes, by exposing them to grueling situations and igniting complex relationship issues. This one-of-a-kind adventure-reality show went on in subsequent seasons to evolve into a true adrenalin junkie’s dream-come-true, informs an official release.

    MTV Networks India VP & GM Ashish Patil says, ” MTV Hero Honda Roadies Season 4 is an 8500 km long journey that delivers fame, fortune and freedom. The longest running reality series on Indian television and among the only ones that have grown in popularity, scale and viewership over previous editions, this year Roadies gets even tougher. So if you’re looking for a talent hunt, please don’t tune in, but if it’s a power shot of unlicensed thrills you want… join the ride.”

  • Delhi High Court restrains 92 cable operators from unauthorised telecast of World Cup

    Delhi High Court restrains 92 cable operators from unauthorised telecast of World Cup

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi Court granted stay to ESPN Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Fifa World Cup, in favor of its application for a civil suit filed against 92 cable operators across the country for unauthorised broadcast of the Fifa World Cup restraining all the cable operators from showing Fifa through any other channel other than ESPN Star Sports.

    The channel has an exclusive deal with Fifa to telecast all the matches of the Fifa World Cup in territory of India. After this order anyone still showing FIFA World Cup through any other channel will be held in contempt of court and liable for prosecution, says an official release.

    Elaborating on this, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd AVP Affiliate Sales Rajesh Kaul says, “No other channel, whether pay, free to air or terrestrial is authorised to provide, show or distribute the Fifa World Cup Germany 2006 in the territory of India. Also carriage, reception or distribution of the Fifa World Cup Germany 2006 by any MSO, Cable Operator, Sub-Operator without written authorization from ESPN Star Sports is a violation of copyrights and hence an illegal activity. Strict and legal action will be taken against the operators who violate the court orders. Post the order; police raids have already been started.”

    The 92 cable operators restrained from the unauthorized telecast are from Tamil Nadu, Jharkand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam, Tripura, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar and Punjab, adds the release.

    “The 92 cable operators across the country were broadcasting by means of wireless diffusion the services of free to air international channels like TV 5 Cambodia TV, CC5 Channel, CCTV1, Super Sports, Multi-choice and Dream Satellite, thereby infringing the copyright of ESPN Star Sports. Today after an application in the Delhi High Court, the judge has restrained these operators from carrying and distributing the World Cup by any means whatsoever, without authorized permission from ESPN Star Sports. Operators showing the Fifa World Cup through other channels should stop this to avoid legal court action,” adds Kaul.