J&K: Locals welcome administration's order to partially restore internet in the valley

A day after the Home Department of Jammu and Kashmir ordered the restoration of the internet in five districts of the Jammu region, the residents of these five districts welcomed the home department's order to partially restore internet services in the Union Territory from January 15. 

While interacting to a news agency over the matter a local businessman Ranjan Gupta said, "We could not take payments online as there was no internet. We welcome the decision to start internet services again by the government." 

Another local resident named Kishor Gupta said, "They should have started the internet services earlier. The government suspended the internet due to the threat of terrorism. We thank the government for deciding to start the services again." 

Reacting over the matter a college student stated that her studies were affected due to internet access in the valley but welcomed the government's decision to restore the services. "It is difficult for college students to study without the internet. There are some books that are only available online," she said.

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Jammu and Kashmir administration to partially restore internet services

On January 14, the Jammu and Kashmir administration in its order had stated that it will partially allow 2G mobile connectivity on postpaid mobiles for accessing white-listed sites in five districts of the Jammu region-- Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi from January 15.

The administration had stated that it will also allow broadband internet services in hotels, educational institutions and travel establishments in the Jammu and Kashmir. 

As per the orders issued by the Union Twrritory's Home Department, the Kashmir division will establish an additional 400 internet kiosks.

READ | Internet shut down in J-K cannot be indefinite, says SC

The order comes days after SC's direction to review internet suspension 

On January 10, The Supreme Court had directed to review all orders suspending internet services in Jammu and Kashmir and had said that the "right to access the internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution".

The Central government had suspended the internet services in the valley following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

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(With inputs from ANI)