Govt not keen on opening mobile phone facility in Doda, Kishtwar

Tribune News Service

Doda, August 25

The government is in no mood to throw open the mobile phone calling facility in the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar despite advisers to the Governor reviewing the security situation in the area on several occasions since the imposition of restrictions on August 5.

Some restrictions like curfew are lifted but still there are curbs on mobile phone calling in the twin districts where not a single anti-government protest was witnessed.

On Thursday, adviser to Governor K Vijay Kumar visited the twin districts and reviewed the security situation besides laying the foundation stone of 290-bedded teaching hospital at the Doda district hospital. He met officers of the J&K police and CRPF in the area and discussed the prevailing situation.

There was no positive response from the Adviser to the people who were waiting for the good news of opening the calling facility if not restoring the Internet in the near future.

“These are a few regulations which are in place for the larger interest of the public. We will bring back things to normal along with the mobile phone calling, but there is no deadline for that. I know people are facing problems due to unavailability of mobile phone facility but it is in the overall interest of the people,” Kumar told mediapersons here this afternoon.

It has been 17 days since the mobile phone calling was shut down by the government as a precautionary measure to avoid any rumours. On August 5, the Central Government revoked Article 370 and divided the state into two union territories and curfew was imposed to stop people from coming out in protest against the decision.

Though the restrictions continued to be in place in Kashmir valley, the curfew was lifted in Doda and Kishtwar and all educational institutions were opened. Life has almost returned to normal but the people here are still deprived of the mobile phone calling.

The adviser refrained from terming it “curb” on public. “These are not curbs, but regulations, which are there for larger interest of the people,” he said.