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Economic Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
DTH companies may get licence fee relief
Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) is reviewing the licence fee structure for direct-to-home (DTH) services as lobbying by operators intensifies amid rising subscriber churn and falling revenues, people aware of the development told ET. The ministry is in the process of preparing a Cabinet note that could lead to a significant reduction in the fee charged to private DTH operators, namely Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV and Sun Direct, the people cited earlier said, adding that any proposal to reduce licence fee will also require approval from the finance ministry, as it involves revenue considerations. Following the inter-ministerial consultation, the proposal will require the Union Cabinet's approval for implementation. DTH providers pay 8% of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as licence fee. Industry players argue that this cost has become increasingly difficult to bear, as more consumers migrate to OTT streaming services and the free-to-air DD Free Dish officials confirmed that deliberations are underway and indicated that a decision is likely, though they did not specify a possible revision follows repeated recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), which has urged the ministry to reduce the fee to 3% in FY26 and abolish it entirely by the end of FY27. Trai argues that DTH platforms should be treated on par with other distribution services, whether regulated or not, such as cable TV, DD Free Dish and OTT platforms, none of which pay a licence fee."The DTH sector is under considerable financial strain, and we urge the government to implement Trai's recommendations without delay," said Dish TV CEO Manoj Dobhal. "Regulatory relief is essential for our viability, especially as consumer behaviour shifts and revenues decline."India's active pay-TV DTH subscriber base has dropped from 70.26 million in 2020 to 56.92 million in 2025, a loss of over 13 million subscribers in five years, according to Trai's Performance Indicators FY24, the combined revenue of the four private DTH operators stood at ₹10,230 crore, down 5% from the previous year. Meanwhile, the IB ministry has issued demand notices worth over Rs16,000 crore to these companies for unpaid licence fees, a figure that exceeds the sector's total annual ministry's licence fee collection from DTH has plunged from ₹1,581 crore in FY22 to ₹648 crore in FY25, a decline of nearly 59%, highlighting the sector's worsening financial operators have previously petitioned the government to eliminate the licence fee altogether. They argue that their platforms should be treated on par with other TV distribution systems such as cable and IPTV, which are not subject to similar levies.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MahaRERA lists 1,244 projects ‘under abeyance' in Pune district
Pune: The district has 1,244 projects which cannot entertain fresh bookings or sales since MahaRERA has marked them 'under abeyance' — meaning they have not received completion certificates or applied for deadline extensions. The hard-earned money of many an individual remains stuck as a result. Eleven 11 years on, a Pune IT professional is yet to get possession of his flat in a project on the foothills of Sinhagad. Despite a number of MahaRERA orders in his favour, neither has the project been completed nor has he received a refund. The project is marked under abeyance on the MahaRERA website now, stopping new bookings and sales. The buyer was among the first to invest in the project, which is not even 20% complete. "My money amounting to Rs30 lakh is stuck. The builder is not showing any intent to complete the work. I've stopped following up now, since nothing is moving." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Another buyer in the same three-building project said that over the years, the association has filed many complaints with MahaRERA. "The initial order of 2017 directed completion by 2018. The project again received an extension till Oct 2020 and March 2025 thereafter. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Real-Time Conversations in 68 Languages? AI Just Made It Possible Enence 2.0 Undo The work has not even started till now," he said, adding his Rs16 lakh are stuck. And, such cases are not isolated, they said. MahaRERA has listed 4,904 real estate projects under abeyance across Maharashtra. Pune district has as many as 1,244 such projects, followed by Thane (548), Raigad (473), Mumbai suburban (441), Nashik (250) and Nagpur (247). MahaRERA officials said projects under abeyance failed to submit completion or extension details despite continuous reminders. "We've issued notices to the developers and given them sufficient time. The projects which failed to comply are barred from registering any new sale or agreement. The project bank accounts have been frozen," they said. The state property registration department was also sent the list of stalled projects to prevent further transactions. Consumer bodies have demanded strict action now. "Buyers cannot execute the sale deed unless completion and occupancy certificates are uploaded. Their partial payment remains stuck indefinitely," said a consumer rights activist, who urged MahaRERA to process refunds in cases of persistent non-compliance. It's common for builders and buyers to enter an agreement for sale, followed by a sale deed after construction is complete and payments made. The agreement for sale outlines terms and conditions and promises certain facilities, while the sale deed transfers ownership legally. Meanwhile, developers' body CREDAI acknowledged the issue, but said delays were also because of lag in website updation. "Many developers have already uploaded their completion certificate (CC), but the abeyance tag remains. We've taken this up," said Sunil Furde, CREDAI's national executive. Requesting anonymity, a developer said, "I uploaded the CC over a month ago, but it's still not reflecting. Such a delay hurts both developers and buyers." RERA Act says developers are mandated to upload both commencement and completion/occupancy certificates to ensure transparency and buyer protection. MahaRERA data showed that only 17,413 of the 50,986 registered projects in the state were marked complete.
Business Recorder
19-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Islamabad: prices of essential kitchen items show rising trend
ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed an increase during this week past against the previous week owing to third successive increase in petrol and diesel prices, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder here on Saturday. Within the past one and half month, the government has increased the price of High Speed Diesel (HSD) oil mainly used for transportation purposes from trains to trucks, buses and trailers by Rs29 per litre and petrol mainly used by private and small vehicles by Rs19 per litre. The increase in fuel prices has played a major role in escalating the prices as transportation cost has jumped up by at least 10 per cent during the period which not only resulted in increasing the prices of daily use items but also edible items from vegetables, meat, eggs to fruits. An increase was noted in chicken prices as it went up from Rs16,000 to Rs16,400 per 40kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs440 per kg and chicken meat at Rs700 per kg. Eggs' price went up from Rs7,000 to Rs7,300 per carton of 30 dozen which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs260-275 against Rs250-260 per dozen. Sugar price went down from Rs9,100 to Rs8,800 per 50kg bag in the wholesale market, while in retail it is being sold at 190 per kg. Wheat flour price remained unchanged as the best quality wheat flour ex-mill price per 15kg bag is at Rs1,100 which in retail is being sold at Rs1,150 per 15kg bag and normal quality wheat flour per 15kg bag is available at Rs1,000 which in retail is being sold at Rs1,050 per bag. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
19-07-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Shortage of bus shelters strains commuters
Listen to article For people travelling in a car, bus stops are just another space for flashy hoardings hence the availability or shortage of facilities would rarely be a concern. But for people travelling daily through public transport, the little box at the edge of the road can turn into a death trap during the summer heat. Although the Punjab Transport Company has initiated a plan to construct modern bus shelters with a budget of Rs16 million, both experts and citizens agree that these efforts are far too limited and slow-moving to meet the needs of a mega city like Lahore. According to the Punjab Transport Company (PTC), there are only 194 proper bus shelters across the city, with an additional 600 temporary stops (flag posts). Many of these shelters have limited seating capacity. Commuters in busy areas like Allama Iqbal Road, Egerton Road, Circular Road, and various sections of GT Road often complain about the lack or complete absence of shelters. One passenger lamented that people were forced to stand under the sun or rain, often having to take refuge in nearby shops. A young commuter, Fahad complained that even the Metro Bus waiting area had no roof for shielding passengers from the heat. Similarly, Muhammad Irfan, a resident of Shahdara, disclosed that the shelters lacked seating, were dirty, and had advertisement boards that further restricted passenger space. Fatima Batool, a daily commuter from Mughalpura to Model Town, revealed that she often had to wait for buses under the sun, and even when there was a shelter, it was so small that only a few people could fit inside. Likewise, Ayesha Nawaz, a student from Model Town, complained that in many areas, it was not even clear where the bus would stop. 'Shelters should at least offer drinking water, lighting, and secure waiting areas for women,' said Nawaz. According to urban planners, a city like Lahore needs more bus shelters to protect commuters from extreme weather and to manage heavy passenger loads. An official from the Punjab Transport Authority confirmed that even today, Lahore urgently needed 1,200 to 1,500 new bus stop shelters. Experts believe that the growing population and increasing number of vehicles have put immense pressure on urban infrastructure, yet no comprehensive planning has been seen to improve the number and quality of bus shelters. Dr Obaidullah Nadeem, Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, explained that when building shelters, it was essential to consider the location, traffic flow, and passenger volume. 'Shelters should be constructed slightly away from the road so that when a bus stops, it doesn't disrupt regular traffic. Modern shelters should include solar-powered lighting, digital timetables, and strong roofing to protect commuters from extreme weather. Even if not digital, there should be clear displays to help guide passengers on route information,' suggested Dr Nadeem. On the other hand, a spokesperson for the Punjab Transport Company, claimed that the government had not only improved existing shelters but also had plans to build 200 more bus shelters in the upcoming fiscal year. Among them, 50 will be constructed with a modern design, featuring separate waiting areas for men and women, a small tuck shop and Wi-Fi facilities.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Wage hike: Contract sanitary workers feel deceived by Coimbatore corporation
Coimbatore: Contract sanitary workers on Saturday accused the city corporation of deceiving them by promising to hike their wages to around Rs681 per day from around Rs560, with effect from May 1, 2025. The temporary workers said it was following a protest in April that the city corporation agreed to pay them around Rs681 per day. "The civic body said the gross salary it could offer was Rs20,454 per month. Officials told us that the revised salary will come into effect from May 1. But in May, those of us who worked for the entire month without taking any leave were paid only around Rs16,000 after deductions. It looks like the civic body is deducting both the employee's and employer's contributions to the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme and the provident fund (PF) from our salaries. If it does so, it's unfair," said one of the contract workers, who didn't want to be named. After receiving the salary for the month of May, more than 2,000 contract sanitary workers had taken out nearly a week-long protest in the first week of June, seeking the revised wage. Following a series of negotiations with the workers' unions, the corporation had agreed to pay them Rs681 per day for 30 working days, including four weekly off days. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The workers' demand for payslips was also accepted, and the payslip for May was issued in July. Commenting on the salary mentioned in the payslip, Tamil Nadu Selvam, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Annal Ambedkar Scavengers General Employees Union, said the city corporation was deceiving the contract sanitary workers. "The payslip shows that both the employee's and employer's contributions to the insurance scheme and PF were deducted from the workers' salaries, which is against the law. Say, if the monthly salary is Rs20,400, one should be paid approximately Rs18,800 after the deductions for ESI and PF. Instead, they were paid just Rs16,000," he said. Santhanam Kumar, one of the contract workers, wondered whether the law allows for double deduction for the ESI and PF benefits. "If we are still getting only Rs16,000, what difference did the negotiations make? Drivers are paid better than the sanitary workers. We are the ones who clear the city's waste, regardless of our health, family and timing. Even if a worker goes on leave for two days, the accumulated waste is still cleared by the same worker. " While TOI made several attempts to reach corporation officials for a comment on the allegations raised by the contract sanitary workers, no one was available for a comment.
