J-K admin extends 2G mobile data service till Feb 15

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday announced the extension of the 2G mobile data service in the union territory till February 15.

The order to this effect was issued by Principal Secretary, Home Department, Shaleen Kabra, here in the evening. It also increasing the whitelisted sites available for mobile data users in the union territory to 481.

The order said Kabra reviewed the restrictions on mobile data services with regard to its impact on the overall security situation and after due consideration of reports of law enforcement agencies, which have, among other things, brought out the usage of the internet for carrying out terror activities at various places as well as use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for this purpose despite measures taken by the telecom service providers (TSP).

The order referred to the recent encounter at Ban Toll Plaza in the Nagrota area of Jammu; grenade attack in Pratap Park, Srinagar and a gunfight near Shalteng on Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway.

While three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were killed and three overground workers arrested when security forces intercepted a Kashmir-bound truck at Nagrota on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, eight persons including two CRPF jawans were injured in the grenade attack in Srinagar. Two terrorists were killed and another arrested near Shalteng when they were intercepted by security forces while moving towards Srinagar.

"...The directions or restrictions contained in dated January 31 shall continue to remain operative till February 15, unless modified earlier," Kabra said in the order.

The 2G internet facility on mobile phones was restored for a week in Jammu and Kashmir on January 25 after remaining suspended since August 5 last year when the Centre announced nullification of Article 370 of the Constitution applicable to the erstwhile state and also bifurcated it into union territories -- Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

It was reviewed on January 31 and was extended for another week, which was ending on Friday.