Set-top box: HC extends deadline by a day

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday adjourned the hearing of a petition regarding digitisation of the cable TV network and extended the deadline for disconnection of analog signals till Tuesday.

The petitioners contended that they did not have sufficient stocks of set-top boxes to distribute among customers in both Bangalore and Mysore.

The counsel representing the Karnataka State Cable TV Operators’ Association submitted that cable operators had no guidelines to educate customers about set-top boxes and that there was confusion regarding rules pertaining to compulsory digitisation.

The cable TV network caters to a cross-section of society and needs proper guidelines to tell people why digitisation is compulsory, the petitioner said.

Notices ordered

The High Court has issued emergent notices to the Indian National Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Karnataka party unit president G Parameshwara, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the chief electoral officer of the State on a petition filed by V Shashidhar alleging that the Congress had collected funds from aspirants seeking party tickets for contesting the May 5 elections.

Justice S Abdul Nazeer also directed the respondents to file objections. Shashidhar, president of Karnataka Police Maha Sangha, in his petition alleged that the ECI was allowing political parties to collect up to Rs 10,000 for issuing tickets to poll contestants.

The petitioner had sought directions to the ECI to formulate proper guidelines and procedures to prevent such practices. Shashidhar submitted that as per the constitution of the Indian National Congress, the party did not have the power to collect funds from its members.

Citing a survey conducted by the Association of Democratic Reforms and Karnataka Election Watch, Shashidhar claimed that Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 7,000 crore black money was involved in the coming Assembly elections.

The petitioner sought the court to direct the ECI to seize the money collected so far by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.