‘Situation’s improving with happy calm faces’, Centre fully restores landline connectivity in Valley

Jammu, September 6: For those who are emancipating false propaganda and shedding crocodile tears stating ‘situation in Kashmir is not good’, the Centre has something interesting to offer. With the decision of imposing Section 144 along with telecommunication blockade, now, all telephonic exchanges were today restored in Kashmir valley, making all landlines fully functional.

 

The Centre in its unprecedented decision creating history had abrogated Article 370, bringing the state of Jammu and Kashmir in lines with other states by taking away its special status. In a welcoming decision coming on Wednesday, the government had announced to operationalise 100 per cent of landline exchanges by opening the remaining 19 exchanges on Wednesday night. The announcement in this regard was made by Srinagar District Magistrate Shahid Choudhary.

The mobile phone services were also made functional in the districts of Kupwara and Handwara while the government said the mobile connectivity in other districts would be restored gradually. Official said the decision to restore 100 per cent landline connections was taken in view of the “fast improving situation” in Kashmir Valley.

On August 31, 29 more landline exchanges were restored, in addition to the 47 telephonic exchanges, which were made operational before in the view of the improving situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The authorities had also eased restrictions in 11 more police stations areas, in addition to 82 out of 105 police stations which were made functional without any restrictions in the government’s efforts to bring life back to normal in the Union Territory of J&K.

The landline, mobile phone services and the Internet were suspended across Kashmir Valley and five sensitive districts of Jammu region on August 5 few hours before the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre announced its decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The government had argued that the communication clampdown was imposed to maintain law and order in the region following its decision to revoke Article 370. While the government move drew sharp criticism from various quarters, J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik had justified the government’s decision saying “Internet and phone services have been shut because these are more useful to terrorists and Pakistan for mobilisation of people and indoctrination of youths. The medium of the Internet is a little bit useful for us but more useful for the terrorists, Pakistanis”.