4G ban to be lifted in J&K on trial basis from August 16 - Centre directs SC

Jammu and Kashmir: The Centre announced they will lift restrictions on high-speed 4G internet services in one district each of Jammu and Kashmir divisions after August 15 on a trial basis.

Attorney General K.K Venugopal informed that a special committee based on the top court’s May 11 directions to analysis restrictions on mobile internet speed in J-K took inputs from security forces and local agencies before concluding on August 10 that threat perception due to terrorist activities in the Union territory continues to be high.

“Overall situation is still not conducive to lift the restrictions in J-K,” Venugopal said.

According to Venugopal, the step will be reviewed periodically every week.

Earlier the Supreme court was hearing a plea by Foundation for Media Professionals, a non-government organisation, in June seeking to start contempt proceedings against the Centre and J-K administration for the failure to comply with the top court’s May 11 directions to review restrictions on mobile internet speed in the union territory.

“This is a good stand by the respondent,” justice R Subhash Reddy, who was on the bench, remarked.

“This is a step forward,” petitioner’s counsel Huzefa Ahmadi acknowledged.

However, the court asked the Centre to respond to an interim application by the petitioner which pointed out that the government is not publishing on public domain, copy of orders reviewing internet restrictions.

In its final hearing, the court had said that the Centre should increase the probability of restoring 4G mobile internet services in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the statements of GC Murmu, the former lieutenant governor of the Union territory, backing the restoration.

“L-G Murmu has said that there is no difficulty in restoring 4G. You have to give an explanation to that,” justice R Subhash Reddy told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Jammu & Kashmir administration, last Friday.