145 Days After Blockade, Mobile Internet Services Restored in Kargil as Ladakh Limps Back to Normalcy

 

 

Mobile internet service was on Friday restored in Kargil district of Ladakh after remaining suspended for 145 days in the wake of the Centre abrogating provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, news agency reported.

The services were restored in view of complete normalcy returning to Kargil, with no untoward incident taking place over the past four months, the officials said. They said local religious leaders have appealed to people not to misuse the facility. Broadband services were already functional in Kargil

The authorities had snapped all communication lines landline telephone and mobile phone services and internet across all platforms — on August 5, hours before the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and to bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union territories.

Most of the top-level and second-rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — have been either detained or placed under house arrest.While landline telephones were gradually restored first, post-paid mobile services were resumed later. However, pre-paid mobile and internet services are yet to be resumed in the entire Valley.

The media-persons have been demanding the restoration of at least BSNL’s Broadband services to discharge their professional duties.