MUMBAI: The Madras High Court has pushed the hearing of Chennai cable operators petition challenging the government‘s digitisation notification to Tuesday.

The petition filed by Chennai Metro Cable Operators Association (CMCOA) seeks to postpone the implementation of digitisation in Chennai.

Counsels appearing on behalf of the petitioner as well as the respondents requested the court for time before the case came up for hearing.

Following the request, the two-member bench of Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Aruna Jagadeesan adjourned the matter till Tuesday.
There are 18 respondents in the petition which includes the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) besides the Multi System Operators (MSOs) from Chennai.

The CMCOA had earlier filed a petition seeking postponement of cable digitisation in Chennai by at least three months following which the DAS implementation was stayed by the Court.

The deadline for the first phase of digitisation in the four metro cities was 31 October.

The Madras High Court had on 31 October stayed the digitisation in Chennai till 5 November. The Court again extended the deadline till 9 November following which it was put off till 19 November.

The matter is still pending before the court which had told the CMCOA to challenge the centre‘s digitisation notification rather than seeking extension.