Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday called upon cable operators, multi-service operators, advertisers and consumer bodies to cooperate with the government in introducing the conditional access system from July 15.

The CAS was being introduced in the interests of cable viewers, the minister told a gathering of leading players in the cable industry at a suburban hotel in Mumbai.

Prasad, on a day-long visit to Mumbai, said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had asked him to give consumer interest the topmost priority while introducing CAS.

The minister said the cable operators would provide set-top boxes to the viewers for CAS and ensure that they give warranty for the product. In case of defective pieces, they would have to replace or repair them, Prasad said, adding that any violation of the guidelines would attract penal provisions under the law and the concerned operator would be arrested.

Prasad said the government had to step in only because cable operators, MSOs and consumer bodies had failed to resolve the issue.

Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, a consumer body, suggested setting up of a regulator to monitor CAS. Prasad, however, said such a body would not be of much help to the viewers because it may not have consumer bodies on its panel.

Commencing on July 15, CAS would be introduced in the four metros. A minimum standard charge of Rs 72 will be levied for free-to-air channels, he said.