SMS on Postpaid Mobiles, Internet Services in Kashmir's Govt Hospitals Restored after 150 Days

New Delhi: Internet services in all government hospitals and SMS on all postpaid mobile phones in Kashmir were restored from midnight on December 31, PTI official spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir Rohit Kansal said.

Consul told reporters in Jammu, "It has been decided to restore internet connectivity in all government hospitals from midnight on 31 December.

The internet facilities were sacked on 5 August by Union Home Minister Amit Shah following the announcement of the partition of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the two union territories.

Last week, mobile Internet services were restored in Kargil district of Ladakh after the Center was suspended for 145 days in view of the Center repealing the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution.

While landline telephones were gradually restored, postpaid mobile services were later resumed. However, prepaid mobile and Internet services are yet to be resumed in the entire valley.

On December 10, the Consul stated that machine-based SMS for mobile phones was enabled in Kashmir to facilitate students, scholarship seekers, businessmen and others, and the resumption of complete messaging services as part of the process.

"It has been a constant endeavour of the government to move as far as possible and as quickly as possible, and since August 5 we have been making progress in this direction in both Jammu and Kashmir. We are progressing progressively. In response to a question about the resumption of Internet services, the Consul said that it will try to ensure as much as possible and as soon as possible.

Kansal, who is also the Principal Secretary for Planning, Development and Monitoring in the Union Territory Administration of Jammu and Kashmir, said that administration in Kashmir is facilitating students, contractors, tour operators, government officials through various internet touchpoints. is.

"Around 900 such touchpoints and special counters operate in districts, major tourist destinations and hotels across Kashmir, and around 6 lakh people have taken advantage of these touchpoints," he said.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Press Club on Tuesday demanded immediate resumption of internet services for media in the Valley as the clampdown severely crippled the fraternity's functioning and threatened to suspend publications.

The club said in a statement that the Kashmir Press Club held a meeting at the club, in which all the editors' bodies and journalist associations unanimously sought to restore internet services to the media fraternity in the valley. Various media bodies discussed the long and unprecedented internet bandh which is now almost five months.

It was observed that the functioning of the media fraternity in the valley has been shut down on the Internet. The participants were of the view that the government intentionally mocked the press to control the flow of information which has equally affected readers who have the right to know the facts. The statement said that Gag adversely affected ground reporting and newsgathering operations.

The Press Club said that it has now become unstable for journalists and media organizations to exit the Media Facilitation Center housed in the Information Department campus, which allows journalists, editors, photojournalists and video journalists of over 200 publications and figures Insufficient to accommodate. Of the bureau

The club demanded that the government remove the communication gag and allow free and unconditional access to the Internet.

To remind the government of its role in ensuring independence to the Fourth Estate, the participants unanimously asked the government to take all measures to ensure free speech and free expression. The Press Club said that to highlight their plight and the press for the restoration of the Internet, it was decided to hold a series of seminars, silence and peaceful protests and postpone publications.