Mobile phone lines have been restored in five districts of Jammu over three weeks after severe restrictions were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir. The services were restored in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch districts last night.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under strict restrictions since the government announced its decision to end its special status and split it into two union territories. The government had said that the restrictions will be lifted in phases.
Yesterday, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik had announced that mobile phone lines will be reopened in all 10 districts of Jammu (barring one location) and that mobile phones would also be made functional in the entire revenue district of Kupwara and Handwara Police districts in the Kashmir Valley.
The government had already announced the reopening of landline connections in the Kashmir Valley.
Defending restrictions on the use of mobile phones and internet, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik had said yesterday that the curbs were imposed as these facilities were used against the country and mostly exploited by terrorists and Pakistani forces.
"Telephones and Internet connections are of very little use to us. They were being used more by Pakistani forces and terrorists, and that was why we put restrictions on them," Mr Malik said.
"Our attitude is such that there should be no loss of human lives. If there's no telephone for 10 days, so be it. But we will roll back these measures very soon," he had said on Sunday.
He also said that 50,000 vacancies across various government departments will be filled on priority in the coming months.
(With inputs from ANI)
PM Modi Chairs Security Meet Amid Rising Terror Attacks In Jammu 2 Soldiers Injured As Another Encounter Breaks Out In J&K's Doda Major Crackdown Launched On Terror Network In J&K After Doda Encounter Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Die In Protests "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Full Recovery From Global IT Outage Could Take Time: 10 Points India Hints At Roles Of Pakistan, China That Could Undermine Shanghai Bloc Deadly Viper On The Rise: Bangladesh Grapples With Snake Crisis SBI Recruitment 2024: Registration Begins For 1,040 SCO Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.