The government owned Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation Limited (TACTV) will launch measures to switch to digital mode transmission in Chennai and also extend its services to the capital city, information technology minister Mukkur N. Subramanian informed the Assembly on Monday.
Wrapping up the debate on the demand for grants for his department, the minister said the government would soon establish a digital control room and invite tenders for procuring set top boxes so as to facilitate digital transmission in Chennai.
“The TACTV is taking necessary action to start its services in Chennai metropolitan area in digital mode soon,” Mr Subramanian said.
Flaying the previous DMK regime for allegedly siphoning off money, he said about `5 crore was collected every month towards cable TV services from about two crore subscribers.
“After taking over, the chief minister not only launched the cable TV services in the state but also announced to provide quality services at an affordable cost of Rs 70 per month to subscribers by cable TV operators and Rs 20 by TACTV as against Rs 150 to Rs 250 a month in the past,” he said.
The subscriber base of TACTV, which was 4.94 lakh as on September 2, 2011, has increased to 49.53 lakh as on April 30, this year, with an operator base of 21,123. “Action is being taken to increase the subscriber base to one crore,” the minister added.
Mr Subramanian said the people were now being offered 100 channels, both free-to-air and paid ones.
The monthly subscription earning from local cable operators and multi-system operators was Rs 32.67 crore besides the advance of Rs 25.97 crore collected from them.
Gas connection for anganwadi centres
Chief minister Jayalalithaa on Monday announced that her government would provide gas connections, gas stoves and pressure cookers in 5,000 anganwadi centres this year as part of its “smokeless kitchens” scheme.
“Of the 54,439 Anganwadi centres in the state, 16,645 have been converted into smokeless kitchens and 5,000 of remaining 37,794 centres would be made smokeless kitchens this year,” she said.
Ms Jayalalithaa also announced that children, aged two and five years, coming to these centres for nutritious food, would be given two sets of colour dress from this year.
Under MGR nutritious noon-meal scheme, students would get four sets from this year.