With change in govt, City Cable on revival course

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 7

Posing a challenge to the monopoly of Fastway in the cable business, Bathinda-based City Cable Net is on the revival course with the return of the Congress government in the state.

It has started operations in Bathinda and soon plans to expand its business across the state.

Bathinda resident Madan Mohan Jindal alias Pappu is the man who has decided to take the Fastway head on by launching City Cable Net.

Jindal was successfully running the venture here during the previous Congress regime from 2002 to 2007.

Now, with the Congress again at the helm of affairs, he not only plans to have a statewide presence but also intends to offer services like broadband and Wi-Fi in near future.

Jindal apparently has got the support of some ruling party leaders. City Cable has already started giving connections and its local channels are set to go on air in the coming days.

It has also set up its studio and control room at its Bathinda office in Model Town Phase-2.

Pleading anonymity, a City Cable Net official told Bathinda Tribune, “We were successfully running cable business in 2007 when Fastway, under the patronage of SAD leadership, arm twisted our cable operators and took over our business. However, now with SAD-BJP alliance out of power, we have again resumed our business in Bathinda. This time, we plan to expand our business across the state and would soon start operations in other cities well.”

Initially, City Cable Net has come up with a package starting with as low as Rs 100 per month. They are also offering ‘pay and watch scheme’ under which a person pays only for the channel he wants to watch. It is offering digital set top box for Rs 2,000.