Image Source: KASHMIR LIFE

Amid growing clamour for restoring high-speed internet, Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered the restoration of 3G and 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir. The high-speed internet continues to be blocked since August 5 when the government of India revoked Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories. We have directed the Chief Secretary of the UT to restore the 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir shortly, Minister of State for Home, GoI, G Kishan Reddy was quoted saying over the phone by news agency GNS. He, as per GNS, said that the order regarding restoration of the internet has been given keeping in view the 21-day lockdown ordered by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the coronavirus spread. The administration had hitherto restricted the mobile Internet speed to 2G services, citing security reasons.
Amid increasing cases of Coronavirus, the chorus for the restoration of high-speed internet services had grown lately in Jammu and Kashmir. Many people, including Lok Sabha Member Farooq Abdullah, former chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti, had called for the restoration of the services to help raise awareness about the virus.
Abdullah also wrote to PM Modi last week, requesting the restoration of 4G Internet services to enable people of JK to work from home. Amnesty International India had on Thursday last also called for the restoration of 4G Internet services, saying that people in the region should have full access to health and safety-related information.