Srinagar: The mobile SMS service which was disconnected in the state following the cancellation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir has been restored after five months from midnight on Tuesday. Internet services are also provided in government hospitals.
Jammu and Kashmir government spokesman Rohit Kansal said the government has decided to restore the Internet to all government hospitals along with a complete restoration of the mobile phone SMS service. Meanwhile, Kashmir’s internet and pre-paid mobile services have not yet been restored. Reports say Kashmir is witnessing the longest internet cancellation in a democracy.
“We are trying to take every possible step, slowly but surely,” said Kansal, who is also the Principal Secretary for Planning, Development, and Monitoring of the Jammu and Kashmir government.
Currently, students, contractors, tour operators, and government officials can access various Internet touchpoints, Kansal said. There are over 900 touchpoints and special counters in Kashmir’s major tourist destinations, hotels, and various districts. About six lakh people have availed themselves of these touchpoints.
Five MLAs have been released from their MLA hostel in Srinagar on Monday. Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Umar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti is still in detention. “They will be released on the basis of law and order situation,” Kansal said.
