The note is to be circulated among the group of ministers headed by Union home minister LK Advani before the group takes a final view on DTH. Sources said that I&B minister Pramod Mahajan has instructed I&B secretary PG Mankad to prepare the final draft of the note. The earlier 40-page note was prepared by other officials in the ministry, which was sent back by the minister, sources added. Officials in the minister's office, however, denied that the note is being reworked.

When asked on the possible timing of the GoM meeting, officials said that it is possible that the meeting will take place in the coming week provided all the members of the group and senior ministry officials are available.

Significantly, the ministry has already finalised the notes on Cable Networks Amendment Bill and the second phase of uplinking policy for theconsideration of the Union Cabinet. The Cabinet is likely to discuss the two subjects either this week or next week.

The Cable Networks Amendment Bill is believed to have been worked in a manner in which it would be mandatory for cable operators to abide by uniform programming and advertisement codes. It is further believed that the operators would have to carry the Doordarshan channels.

The Bill may also specify different slabs of pay channels for the operators. For some of the pay channels in the premium category, the Indian companies may be barred from putting their advertisements in them. The issue is, however, being made open to debate at the Cabinet level.

In the second phase of uplinking, the I&B ministry is planning to allow Indian channels with maximum of 20 per cent of foreign equity to uplink from the country via earth stations other than Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL).

In this phase, the ministry is also planning to allow setting up of earth stations by private players with maximum 20 percent foreign equity.

Earlier, the ministry under Sushma Swaraj had decided to allow 74 per cent foreign equity.

In the third phase, the ministry will allow all the channels to uplink from the country and may make it mandatory for the broadcasters interested in beaming their programmes into the country.