ITV

Tag: Nilotpaul Basu

  • CAS Bill first item on RS agenda today; discussion post-lunch

    CAS Bill first item on RS agenda today; discussion post-lunch

    NEW DELHI: The Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Amendment Bill 2002, the passage of which will bring in conditional access system (CAS) in the country, has been listed as the first item on the agenda of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian Parliament today.

    The discussion on the CAS Bill is scheduled to take place after the luncheon session.

    Information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj had expressed confidence in a conversation with indiantelevision.com last Friday that the process of implementation of the CAS should get the nod of the Rajya Sabha this week.

    Sounding absolutely confident of the passage of the Bill, Swaraj had stated she did not foresee any opposition to the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

    Swaraj’s assertive stance on CAS followed soon after the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), after initial reservations on CAS, made it public that it supports the government initiatives on CAS.

    The Bill, which seeks to facilitate implementation of CAS and bring about addressability in Indian cable homes, has already been okayed by the Lok Sabha (Lower House) during the Monsoon Session itself. The Bill is now awaiting the Rajya Sabha’s nod before it is enacted into law.

    The Rajya Sabha, where the government does not have a majority, has been a problem area for the government as far as CAS is concerned. The Opposition Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha — mainly the Communist party of India (Marxist) and the Congress Party — had been demanding that the issue of CAS be discussed thoroughly and, preferably, be referred to a parliamentary committee for more deliberations on the issue.

    A senior RS partyman of the CPM, Nilotpaul Basu, had told indiantelevision.com recently that his party is for CAS to be referred to a parliamentary panel for more discussion on the issue. However, Basu could not be contacted for comments on Swaraj’s latest assertion on CAS.

    Finally, after a whole host of twists and turns, CAS looks on its way to becoming reality, though its actual implementation will take some more time.

  • CAS passage likely on 10 December, asserts Swaraj

    CAS passage likely on 10 December, asserts Swaraj

    NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj has done it again. The government is confident that the process of implementation of the conditional access system (CAS) should get the nod of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian Parliament next week.

    “CAS is coming up in the Rajya Sabha on 10 December and it should be passed,” information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj told indiantelevision.com today afternoon.

    Sounding absolutely confident of the passage of the amendments proposed in the Cable TV (Networks) Regulation Amendment Bill 2002, Swaraj said she does not foresee any opposition to the Bill in the Rajya Sabha now.

    The Bill, which seeks to facilitate implementation of CAS and bring about addressability in Indian cable homes, has already been okayed by the Lok Sabha (Lower House) during the monsoon session itself. The Bill is now awaiting the rajya Sabha’s nod before it is enacted into law.

    Swaraj’s assertive stance on CAS comes a day after the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), after initial reservations on CAS, made it public that it supports the government initiatives on CAS.

    Asked whether she will be present during the introduction of CAS in the Rajya Sabha on 10 December as she is slated to tour the state of Gujarat from 8 December as part of election campaigning, Swaraj shot back, “But I am back in Delhi on the morning of 10 December.”

    The Rajya Sabha, where the government does not have a majority, has been a problem area for the government as far as CAS is concerned. The Opposition Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha — mainly the Communist party of India (Marxist) and the Congress Party — had been demanding that the issue of CAS be discussed thoroughly and, preferably, be referred to a parliamentary committee for more deliberations on the issue.

    A senior RS partyman of the CPM, Nilotpaul Basu, had told indiantelevision.com recently that his party is for CAS to be referred to a parliamentary panel for more discussion on the issue. However, today Basu could not be contacted for comments on Swaraj’s latest assertion on CAS.

    The CAS issue had been listed on the agenda of the Rajya Sabha soon after Parliament reconvened for the Winter session on 18 November but could not be taken up for discussion for various reasons.

    The government has also allotted a three-hour time in Rajya Sabha for discussions on CAS.

    Finally, after a whole host of twists and turns, CAS looks on its way to becoming reality, though its actual implementation will take some more time. Unless of course something unforeseen happens next week that will again take precedence over CAS.

  • No CAS Bill discussion due to RS uproar; debate anytime time available

    NEW DELHI: The fate of conditional access system is becoming increasingly uncertain – something that was looking highly unlikely about a fortnight back when information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj was pushing full steam for the passage to amendments in the CATV Act in the Upper House of Parliament.

    The cable TV network Regulation Amendment Bill 2002, slated to be taken up in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) today, could not be done today as both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day on Monday without transacting any business. Reason: Opposition uproar over the Indian Express expose on the doling out of petrol pump dealerships to ruling party members as well as coalition partners of the government by the petroleum ministry under the alleged directives of the Union petroleum minister Ram Naik. A vociferous Opposition stalled question hour.

    As per the latest information available is that the issue will be taken up as soon as the Rajya Sabha is able to find the time to debate the issue. That means that it can even come up tomorrow if the current ruckus going on in Parliament cools down. Something that looks highly at the moment though.

    Today’s trouble arose as soon as the House met for the day with a determined Opposition raising anti-government slogans like istifado, istifado and loot liya, loot liya (resign and plundered).

    As the uproar continued for 10 minutes, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha Najma Heptulla adjourned the House for the day.

    The Lok Sabha was also adjourned for 15 minutes after it plunged into turmoil over the same issue with an unrelenting Opposition demanding Naik’s resignation.

    Government officials told indiantelevision.com this afternoon that it has to be seen when the Bill gets re-listed in the RS now. “If the Opposition continues to stall proceedings of the House over other issues, then the CAS issue may not get discussed at all,” an I&B ministry official indicated.

    However, there seems to be unanimity amongst Opposition members of the Rajya Sabha, especially the CPM and the Congress, that the CAS issue needs to be referred to a parliamentary committee to be discussed further as some issues in the Bill need thorough examination.

    Nilotpaul Basu of the CPM, a member of RS, in private is understood to have said that their meeting with Swaraj last week was “inconclusive” and that the minister was unable to satisfactorily explain Opposition queries on freedom of media, specially electronic media, and that the government was attempting to muzzle the media in the aftermath of the Gujarat communal violence by bringing in censorship in the form of CAS where the government will decide which free to air channels will be aired in which part of the country.