Cable operators on Wednesday began offering pay channel bouquets at about 50 per cent discounted prices in South Delhi since most consumers are wary of the steep increase in the cable bill under conditional access system and are yet to invest in set top boxes.

Leading MSO Hathway has offered a package at almost half the earlier rate wherein various pay channels except those on the Zee bouquet are offered for only Rs 149 per month.

Siti Cable and other multi system operators are also offering similar packages in a bid to attract consumers and ensure a smooth rollout of the much-delayed CAS, industry sources said in New Delhi.

These price discounts follow close on the heels of cable operators announcing a partial rollback on Tuesday by offering three Hindi entertainment channels -- Zee TV, Sony and Star Plus -- without STBs till January 1 next year.

Also, in a related development, the Delhi high court today posted for Friday the hearing on a public interest litigation challenging CAS introduction in the present manner as envisaged under the amended Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act.

The PIL was filed by Consumer Coordination Council, a national coalition of 50 leading consumer organisations and Consumers' Online Foundation Forum, contending that the impugned Act and CAS scheme fails to address consumer issues.