Communication system getting back on track in Kashmir Valley: Govt.

Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday gave an account of how the communication system, which was badly affected in the flood ravaged state of Jammu and Kashmir, was slowly getting restored.

"According to latest report out of 12,306 Base Trans-receiver Station (BTS) in Kashmir, 6,811 had been affected and were left submerged. It gives me immense pleasure that 1,208 has been restored," said Prasad.

"While heeding on our request to private operators, we appreciate that they have permitted sixty minutes per-day free. Other than that we have permitted inter-circle roaming free for 15 days, the services of any operator can be used by the other operator for access to the people who are suffering, which means any service provider can use the tower of others," he told a press conference here.

Prasad informed that the government has installed five free PCOs at the Srinagar Airport.

"We have installed wi-fi hotspots. 8000 landlines phones have restarted working in the valley. Except Poonch, the mobiles services are available somewhere substantively, somewhere partially... with our officials working hard to restore it," he added.

Over 1, 42,000 persons have been rescued so far by the armed forces and NDRF from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the state.