Throwing up its hands, the government is now leaving it to state governments to suggest fresh dates and demarcation of zones for enforcing conditional access system in Mumbai and Kolkata.
The information and broadcasting ministry which had a meeting on Monday on implementation of CAS in the four metros with officials from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Delhi, is likely to adopt this approach in the case of other states as well.
While Kolkata has sought time till the festival season is over on October 27 for enforcing CAS, Mumbai has said that in view of the law and order situation in the city the police is overstretched, Pawan Chopra, secretary, information and broadcasting ministry, told reporters after the meeting.
"We have asked them to suggest convenient dates for enforcing CAS in the two cities and also the zone being demarcated by them for notified area," he said.
The ministry has also agreed to setting up of state-level committees to make suggestions on these matters and the nitty-gritties of implementing the new regime.
Though the state representatives did not spell it out at today's meeting, the indications were that a convenient date for CAS would mean after it is rolled out in Delhi, where it has been deferred under political pressure till the assembly elections are over.
Asked if there was any possibility of roll-back of CAS, Chopra said none of the state representatives sought a roll-back.