A year and a half after cutting internet services in Jammu and Kashmir, the government on Friday ordered the restoration of 4G mobile internet throughout the Union Territory.
“4G mobile internet services are being restored throughout J&K,” J&K management spokesperson Rohit Kansal posted on Twitter Friday night. Government sources said that 4G mobile internet could return at midnight.
4G Mobile Internet Services Are Being Restored Across J&K @diprjk
– Rohit Kansal (@ kansalrohit69) February 5, 2021
The decision comes at a time when the government faces increasing criticism in the country and in the world for imposing restrictions on the Internet, which is considered a fundamental human right.
The official order issued by J&K Government Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra said the restrictions would be lifted “except to the extent that prepaid SIM card holders have access to internet connectivity only after verification in accordance with the applicable rules for postal mail “. -paid connections ”.
The order asked authorized officials to “ensure compliance … by service providers immediately.” The agents “will also closely monitor the impact of the lifting of restrictions,” he said.
Mobile Internet services were suspended in Jammu and Kashmir on August 4, 2019, one day before the Center announced the decision to strip the former state of its special status and fork it into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Internet services had been suspended due to anticipated public order situations as a result of decisions and intelligence inputs on possible terrorist attacks infiltrating from across the border.
4G internet services on mobile devices were restored in two of the 20 districts – Udhampur in Jammu and Ganderbal in Kashmir – on August 16 last year on a “trial basis”. In other parts of UT, people only had 2G internet services on mobile devices.
Sources said that a high-level committee headed by the Union Secretary of the Interior Ajay Bhalla recently made the decision to restore services based on reports from security agencies that the restoration of 4G mobile internet services is likely to it would not cause any major security problems in the Union Territory.
“This morning a meeting was held with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, where the green light was given to the restoration of 4G services based on the recommendation of the local administration and security agencies,” said a government official.
4G Mubarak! For the first time since August 2019, all of J&K will have 4G mobile data. Better late than never.
– Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 5, 2021
Welcoming the development, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Leader Omar Abdullah tweeted: “4G Mubarak! For the first time since August 2019, all of J&K will have 4G mobile data. Better late than never.”
Sources said the decision to restore services has taken into account the experience in Ganderbal and Udhampur.
“There have been no major terror or public order incidents in the five months since the restoration of the Internet in these districts. The idea for the test was as follows, ”said another government official.
LG Sinha had promised “good news” last month about restoring high-speed Internet at UT. “I know 4G is working only in two J&K districts. A committee is examining the issue. There will be good news soon in the next few days, ”Sinha told reporters in Jammu.
Sources said that while LG had been pushing for the restoration of high-speed Internet services since its appointment, “the Center wanted to wait until after the completion of the DDC elections and subsequently the peaceful passage of the Day of the Republic”.
However, the sources said, “with Pakistan observing Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5, it was decided to wait until after this date.” Pakistan celebrates Kashmir Solidarity Day every year to express its support for the people of Kashmir.
On Tuesday, the government told Parliament that terrorist attacks in the Valley had more than halved in 2020 compared to 2019. The number of terrorists killed by security forces in Kashmir increased by 41% in this period. .
Responding to a question about the security situation in Kashmir, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy told Lok Sabha that there were 244 terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020, with 37 civilians and 62 victims of security personnel. In 2019, there were 592 terrorist incidents and 37 civilians and 80 victims of security personnel. In 2018, these figures were 614, 39 and 91 respectively.
“Despite reports of locals joining the militancy, both terrorist incidents and casualties of security personnel are steadily declining. It is a good time to restore the Internet and give people a sense of normalcy, ”said the official.
An official from the Jammu and Kashmir security establishment said that the local administration had been pushing for the restoration of mobile internet services for months, but that things had not moved due to reservations in Delhi.
“The security agencies have been saying since last year that the situation is under control and that mobile Internet can be restored throughout the Union, but the Ministry of the Interior did not give the green light. It’s good that he yielded now. Restoring services will make people’s lives easier and will also be a good step to build trust, ”said the officer.
(With ENS, Srinagar)
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