With the deadline for switching to digital reception of television signals a few hours away, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has asked the Union Government to give the people a month’s time.
The Chief Minister wrote a letter on Sunday to the Union Government, requesting it to give more time to the people to buy set-top boxes and move to the digital era.
Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam are among the 38 non-metro cities that are mandated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to go digital by installing set-top boxes.
In line with the plan, the rest of the country would go digital by December 31, 2014.
Those who fail to install the sets would not be able to watch television programmes from midnight tonight in the 38 cities. The Andhra Pradesh Government informed the Centre that about 50 lakh people are yet to install the sets.
Reports suggest that there are not enough quality set-top boxes available.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister would take part in ‘Indiramma Baata’ programme in Nellore district from Monday to Wednesday. He would lay the foundation stone for the Somasila High-level Canal (Lift Irrigation) project that is expected to provide drinking water to six drought-hit mandals.