Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Cable companies must pay 20% of their arrears to the Electricity Department before their petitions for license renewal will be taken into consideration, according to a ruling by the Bombay High Court in Goa.
When the Goa Cable TV Networking and Service Providers Association filed a writ case to challenge the Electricity Department’s attempt to disconnect wires dangling from power poles, the Court issued its order.
The Bench has also asked the government and the organization for clarification regarding the overall number of cable operators.
“Twenty percent of outstanding arrears must be paid by each operator.” Only then will their applications be reviewed or considered for renewal,” the Bench said at Thursday’s hearing.
Government data show that there are 223 cable service providers, Advocate General Devidas Pangam told the court. This number, however, is inconsistent with the association’s assertion made to the court.
A clear list of all operators and the precise amount of arrears owing by each has been requested by the Bench in response to this. The case has been postponed until Monday, when the petition is anticipated to be resolved.
Additionally, it has been learned that during the actual hearing, the Court lowered its initial demand for a 50% payment of arrears to 20%.
Additionally, according to the petitioners, about 240 cable TV operators in Goa depend on their revenue from offering internet and digital cable TV services. They estimate that the number of digital cable television users in the state is around 1.5 lakh.
