Jammu and Kashmir has been under an unprecedented lockdown since August 4.
Highlights
- Mobile internet connections back in 5 districts in Jammu
- Some shops in parts of Srinagar have opened, officials said
- Schools will reopen from next week, J&K Chief Secretary had said
Restrictions have been eased and over 50,000 landline phone connections have been restored in parts of the Kashmir Valley, nearly two weeks after severe restrictions were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the government's big move to end special status to the state. The Jammu and Kashmir police said the prohibitory orders, banning large gatherings, have been relaxed in parts of the valley for the time being. Heavy security, however, continue to be in place. In Jammu region, mobile internet connections were restored in five districts. Jammu and Kashmir has been under an unprecedented security cover and prohibitory orders banning large gatherings since August 4 - a day before the government announced that it was ending special status for the state and said it will bifurcate it into two union territories.
Here are the top 10 updates on Jammu and Kashmir:
Seventeen out of a little over 100 telephone exchanges in Kashmir have been made operational. Landline services have been restored in Budgam, Sonamarg and Manigam areas of central Kashmir. In north Kashmir, the services have been restored in Gurez, Tangmarg, Uri Keran Karnah and Tangdhar areas. In Srinagar, landlines are back in the Civil Lines area, Cantonment area and near the airport. Officials said 20 more phone exchanges will be operationalised soon.
Officials said security forces continued to remain deployed, while barricades remained on the roads, but people were allowed to move after checking their credentials."There has been no untoward incident reported so far. Public transport has started plying and we are getting encouraging reports of normal movement from a lot of rural areas," Principal Secretary Rohit Kansal said.
Mobile internet connections have been restored in five districts in the Jammu region. 2G mobile internet services are back in Jammu, Reasi, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts of the region.
Officials said the high-speed (3G and 4G) mobile internet services will be restored after a fresh assessment of the situation.
Some shops in the civil lines areas of Srinagar opened this morning, officials said. However, most of the business establishments, including fuel stations, remained shut.
The administration had said that government offices in the state have become fully functional, listing measures taken by the administration to ease the restrictions.
Schools will reopen from next week "area wise" and telecom services will be restored in a phased manner, Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said on Friday.
The centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that the ground situation was being reviewed daily.
As part of a complete communications blackout, phone services and internet connections were suspended in the Kashmir Valley and curfew-like restrictions are in place.
Almost 400 political leaders of the Kashmir Valley are under detention. Two former Chief Ministers - Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah - are among those who have been arrested.
(With inputs from PTI)
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