Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) raised serious concerns on Monday about the disruption of the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV network, which has been down since June 15. According to EPS, the state government has been irregular in paying the annual maintenance costs to a private firm managing the conditional access system for Arasu Cable TV, leading to the recent service interruptions.
In a statement, EPS charged that the service disruption is part of a deliberate plan by the DMK regime to disable the Arasu Cable TV network in an effort to promote the cable network associated with the DMK’s first family. He condemned this move, emphasizing that it would negatively impact the livelihood of 15,000 cable TV operators and disturb service to around 10 lakh consumers who benefit from the affordable pricing of the Arasu Cable TV network.
EPS highlighted that the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Network Corporation was initially established in 2007 by former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to benefit some of his family members. However, the government cable network did not succeed due to poor planning. It was only after the AIADMK came to power in 2011, under the leadership of then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, that reformative measures were taken to offer 24×7 service at a low cost, leading to a significant increase in the number of connections to 40 lakh.
EPS noted that since the DMK regime came to power in 2021, the number of consumers has drastically decreased to 10 lakh connections. He criticized the current government’s handling of the Arasu Cable TV network, urging immediate action to ensure regular payments for the annual maintenance cost and to restore uninterrupted service to the people of Tamil Nadu.
EPS’s statement underscores the political tensions surrounding the management of cable TV services in the state, with significant implications for both operators and consumers.