Valley Curbs eased after 12 days, Landlines partially restored, ‘more relaxations’ today

SRINAGAR: After a 12-day-long information blackout and prohibition on public movement, the restrictions were eased and landline phone services restored in some areas of the Kashmir Valley on Saturday, even as no untoward incident was reported from these areas while stringent security arrangements remained in place.
More than 50,000 landline phones—spread over around 37 exchanges (17 in morning and 20 by evening) -- were operational now, with most of total 96 exchanges expected to be functioning by Sunday evening.
“The services will be restored in other areas in a ‘calibrated manner’ and the process of relaxation would continue tomorrow as well in these areas,” government said today.
“The easing in restrictions resulted in people to come out besides several private vehicles plying on roads in the areas where relaxation was given,” said Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, Rohit Kansal, who is also Government’s spokesperson, while addressing an presser here, second of the day.
In the morning presser, he said the restrictions have been relaxed in 35 police station areas of Kashmir while 17 telephone exchanges out of 96 have been made functional.
More than 50,000 landline phones were operational now, the officials said, adding that the services will be restored in other areas in a "calibrated manner".
Telephone line services, including mobile phones and landlines, were suspended in the early hours of August 5 when the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Security forces continued to man barricades on roads but allowed people to move after checking their credentials, they said.
Kansal said primary schools across the Valley will reopen on Monday and government offices will also be fully functional from then.
Some shops in the Civil Lines area opened on Saturday morning, the officials said, adding that there was increase in movement of private vehicles.
The officials said landline services were restored in some areas of Srinagar like Civil Lines, Cantonment, airport, Raj Bagh and Jawahar Nagar, but remained suspended in most parts, including the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and Press Enclave.
They said 20 more exchanges will be operationalised soon. The restoration of exchanges had enabled landline services 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 south Kashmir, the landline services have been made operational in Qazigund and Pahalgam areas.
There was an increase in movement of private vehicles in the Civil Lines areas and other district headquarters of the Valley, the officials said, adding that some inter-district cabs were also seen plying in Dalgate area of the summer capital.
However, most of the business establishments, including fuel stations, remained shut.
Addressing a press conference, Kansal said the restrictions have been eased in 35 police station areas.
"The process of providing relaxation and easing of restrictions is already in progress. Relaxation has been provided in 35 police station areas across the length and breadth of the Valley and so far, there are no reports of any untoward incident. The public transport is plying and we have encouraging reports of a lot of public movement," Kansal said.
"The endeavour is to make at least half of the exchanges in the Valley functional by today evening and by tomorrow evening, all of the exchanges, barring few in the vulnerable areas, would be made functional," he said.
On a question of release of detained political leaders, Kansal said these decisions would be taken by local authorities based on the law and order situation in their respective areas.
Srinagar District Magistrate Shahid Choudhary said 190 schools will resume classes on Monday and extra classes are being planned to make up for loss of last 10 days.
"As many as 190 schools will reopen on Monday in various zones of the district. The areas where schools will be opened include Lasjan, Sangri, Panthachowk, Nowgam, Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Gagribal, Dhara, Theed, Batmaloo and Shalteng," the spokesperson said.
He said Srinagar deputy commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary convened a meeting on Saturday with officers of the education department and heads of schools in the district.
The meeting had extensive discussions with regard to reopening of schools in the district, the spokesman said, adding that school heads and zonal education officers who attended the meeting shared their suggestions.
The spokesman said some schools in Rainawari and Eidgah areas in downtown city will also reopen on Monday.
The deputy commissioner, addressing the meeting, said safety and security of students is the prime concern of the district administration and all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that.
Compensatory classes would also be held later this month to make up for the days lost, Choudhary said.
The district administration has offered the school managements all required assistance and support to restart the classes, the spokesman said.
The J&K police said in the evening that the situation remained peaceful in the state. "No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere so far.Traffic plied normally across the state including the Valley," they said.
"Telecom connectivity will be gradually restored in a phased manner, keeping in mind the constant threat posed by terrorist organisations in using mobile connectivity to organise terror actions. Preventive detentions are being continuously reviewed and appropriate decisions will be made based on law and order assessments," Chief Secretary B V R Subhramanyam had said on Friday.
In implementing the decisions taken last fortnight, this history of cross-border terrorism required the government to put in place certain preventive steps as a precautionary measure, he had said.
An important factor in doing so were credible inputs that such terrorist organisations were planning to undertake strikes in the state in the immediate future, the chief secretary had said.
"A few preventive detentions of individuals were also made in accordance with the provisions of the law to maintain law and order and avoid breach of peace. Similar measures have had to be taken in the past following violent incidents," he had said.

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