Amid the Coronavirus lockdown, mobile internet services at 2G speed were restored in the Kashmir valley, except Pulwama and Shopian districts, hours after the Supreme Court ruled out an immediate restoration of 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir.
On Monday night, 2G internet services on mobile platforms were restored in eight of the 10 districts of Kashmir, five days after the services were suspended in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district last Wednesday.
Principal Secretary, Home Shaleen Kabra maintained that high-speed internet can be used by inimical elements to coordinate terror attacks or incite people by circulating propaganda material while ordering restoration of 2G internet services.
The apex court on Monday, while refusing to issue orders for restoration of 4G services on mobile devices in Jammu and Kashmir, directed the formation of a special committee to address the contentions raised by the petitioners.
On November 21, last year, the Centre had justified restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and said that due to the preventive steps taken, neither a single life was lost nor a single bullet fired.
At the beginning of the year, broadband internet services were restored in 80 government hospitals and nursing homes in Kashmir.
Mobile Internet services were restored in Kargil district of Ladakh last in December after remaining suspended for 145 days. The services were restored in view of complete normalcy returning to Kargil, with no untoward incident taking place over the past four months.
Meanwhile, SMS services in Kashmir valley were also restored from December 31 midnight nearly after five months of suspension.
After the abrogation of Article 370, giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5, a complete blockade on communication was imposed in the Valley.