Internet likely to be back in J-K in a month: Minister

Internet services are likely to be restored to J-K within a month. This was revealed to the Indian Express by State Minister for Industries and Commerce Dr Mustafa Kamaal after he inaugurated the Kashmir chapter of DewSoft Overseas, Education Online and Market-Level Marketing at Rajbagh here today.

He said he had recently inaugurated a facility at the Software Technology Park (STP), Rangreth, which will initially provide 1000 internet lines. ‘‘It will later be upgraded to 10,000 lines. The facility will have nothing to do wiht Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited ,’’ he said. ‘‘The IB had some problem and had sought one-month’s time to put its surveillance mechanism in place, so that Internet is not misused for subversive activities,’’ he said, when asked why a month was still required to restore internet facilities in the state.

Net facilities had been cut off following a decision to this effect by Cabinet Committee on Security in December last, as a sequel to the troop build-up on the Indo-Pak border and possibility of war breaking out between the two neighbouring nations.

Almost 10,000 PCOs and net-browsing centres in the state had wound up operations, leaving thousands jobless, while blocking the state’s communications links with the rest of the world. While PCO and net-owners had been demanding restoration of services, the state government had been seeking central compensation for those rendered jobless with the services stoppage.