CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today formally launched government-owned Arasu Cable TV Corporation, seen as a move against the Maran controlled multi-crore cable business in Tamil Nadu.She launched the telecasting service through video conferencing from the secretariat at Fort St George here, fulfilling AIADMK's poll promise to provide cable TV services at subsidised rates.The Sumangali Cable Vision owned by the Marans -- former union minister Dayanidhi and brother Kalanidhi -- enjoys a near monopoly in cable services in Tamil Nadu.Arasu Cable was started as a previous DMK government initiative after a split in DMK's first family involving party chief M Karunanidhi and his grandnephews Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi, but remained dormant after they patched up.Jayalalithaa breathed life into Arasu, appointing K Udumalai Radhakrishnan as its Chairman, after her party swept the April 13 Assembly polls.In a recent statement in the Assembly, she had said Arasu Cable TV would provided 90 channels for Rs 70, including pay channels and would cover areas other than Chennai.Slamming DMK, she had said the corporation provided 50,000 connections when started in 2007 "but due to the selfishness of rulers", it had shrunk to 432 as on March 31, 2011.A total of 34,000 Multi-System Operators and cable operators who possess more than 1.45 crore connections have enlisted themselves under the state-run initiative and will pay the government Rs 20 per connection.DMK chief M Karunanidhi, when asked about today's launch and Jayalalithaa's criticism of his government on the Arasu Cable TV issue, gave a one-word cryptic response, that he was "Happy", to reporters.
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