Restrictions eased, 50,000 landlines restored as Kashmir awaits normalcy

The restrictions were eased on Saturday morning to facilitate the movement of government employees towards their offices, officials said

More than 50,000 landline phones were made operational on Saturday after services in 17 exchanges of the Kashmir Valley were restored after a period of about 12 days, officials said.

Restrictions on the movement of people in the Kashmir Valley were also eased on Saturday, even as stringent security arrangements continued to be in place, officials added.

The restrictions were eased on Saturday morning to facilitate the movement of government employees towards their offices, they said.

The officials said the security forces continued to remain deployed, while barricades remained on the roads, but people were allowed to move after checking their credentials.

Landline services were restored in some areas like Raj Bagh and Jawahar Nagar, but remained suspended in most parts, including the commercial hub of Lal Chowk, Press Enclave and other areas around it, they said.

There was increase in movement of private vehicles in the civil lines area and other district headquarters of the Valley, the officials said, adding that some inter-district cabs were also seen plying in Dalgate area of the summer capital.

Some shops in the civil lines areas of the city opened on Saturday morning, the officials said. However, most of the business establishments, including fuel stations, remained shut.