SMS services blocked; each Valley distt to get 50 PCOs

SRINAGAR: SMS services were withdrawn as a "precautionary measure" hours after the government restored post-paid mobile connections in Kashmir Tuesday even as the government has decided to provide free of cost calling facilities to the general public, by setting up 50 Public Call Offices (PCOs) in each district of Kashmir Division soon.
Mobile phone services for post-paid subscribers resumed in Kashmir after 72 days on Monday noon, but without any internet facilities. By about 5 pm, SMS services had been suspended too, dulling the euphoria of about 40 lakh subscribers delighted at the prospect of their phones coming back to life, officials said.
"SMS services were stopped last evening as a precautionary measure," said an official without elaborating further.
However, the sources said that SMS service was stopped after a terror incident in Shopian.
Two terrorists, including a suspected Pakistani national, shot dead the driver of a Rajasthan truck and assaulted an orchard owner in Shopian district around 8 pm on Monday. Police said the deceased was identified as Sharief Khan and the terrorists carried out the attack in Shirmal village in desperation as fruit transportation was picking up in the Valley.
Phones fell silent on August 5, when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status and reorganised the state into two union territories.
While landline phones were restored last month, internet services on all platforms continue to remain suspended. Over 25 lakh prepaid mobile phones and other internet services, including WhatsApp, remain deactivated for now, officials said.
Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday said internet services would resume very soon, but officials in the security establishment maintained the process might take up to two months.
A decision on pre-paid subscribers could be taken next month, they said.
Meanwhile, in order to provide free of cost calling facilities to the general public, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan today said that government will set-up 50 Public Call Offices (PCOs) in each district of Kashmir Division soon.
He further said that locations and other modalities have been finalized. List and other details have provided to the Bharat Sanchar Nigham Limited (BSNL) authorities and the work will start shortly.
General Public will avail calling facilities in these PCOs free of cost.
In Jammu, communication was restored within days of the blockade and mobile internet was started around mid-August. However, after its misuse, internet facilities on cell phones was snapped on August 18.
As Kashmiris in the Valley hoped their post-paid mobiles would help them reconnect with the outside world, the deadlock over the scrapping of the special constitutional provision for Jammu and Kashmir continued.
Markets and other business establishments remained closed while most of the public transport was off the roads across the Valley.
A large number of private vehicles and some private taxis, including autorickshaws, could be seen plying in many parts of Srinagar while some roadside vendors also plied their trade.
The efforts of the state government to open schools have not borne any fruit as parents continued to keep children home due to apprehensions about their safety.
Government offices are open and attendance in most offices is near normal, the officials said.

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