Hello Kashmir! Ban on pre-paid mobiles lifted (Roundup)

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR - More than two and a half months after banning pre-paid mobile connections in Jammu and Kashmir citing security concerns, the central government revoked the restriction, bringing relief to millions of cell phone users in the state.

But the relief has come accompanied by a set of tough terms for identity verification under which pre-paid phone users will have to get their credentials verified from police and intelligence agencies.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has welcomed the move, which came late Wednesday after several rounds of talks over the past one month between the home ministry, the telecom ministry, the state government and mobile telephone service providers.

The issue was even taken to the Supreme Court after the ban, imposed Nov 1 last year, evoked sharp criticism and protests from people and the state government.

“Based on these discussions, the telecom ministry has laid new guidelines for re-verification of existing subscribers and verification of new subscribers for both pre-paid and post-paid SIM cards,” said a telecom ministry statement in New Delhi.

Mobile service providers have to “adhere scrupulously” to the new guidelines, the statement said.

Omar Abdullah expressed his gratitude to central Home Minister P. Chidambaram for lifting the ban, which had affected nearly 3.8 million subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement, the chief minister said revocation of the ban “would go a long way in meeting the requirements of the vast number of subscribers”, and has come as a relief to lakhs of subscribers and thousands of young people.

The ban had also dealt a blow to thousands of small traders in Jammu and Kashmir’s cellphone market. Now they are happier.

Muneer Ahmad, 45, a shopkeeper in Srinagar, had shut down his prepaid SIM card shop. He is all set to restart his business.

Common people were generally happy but some wondered why the government didn’t come up with the same guidelines earlier, rather than banning the service.

“I am surprised at both the ban order and its lifting now. If the order was issued for security reasons in the first place, why could those reasons not be addressed in the same manner before as the government intends to address them now?” asked Muzaffar Ahmad, 48, a college teacher.

The happiest are predictably the younger generation.

“My life had become boring. Whatever the reasons, I am very happy to get the news,” said Nilofar Jan, 21, a student.

Basharat Ahmed, 28, a university student, is equally joyous. “It is good that I would be using my mobile phone again which had become almost a relic of the past for me.”

According to the telecom ministry’s set of new rules that mobile service providers have to “adhere scrupulously”:

- Every existing prepaid subscriber shall be re-verified through his identity proof and address;

- Students, government employees and security force personnel have to get identity certificates from their departmental heads;

- The details should be sent to law enforcement agencies, police and telecommunication office for verification and in the event of negative report from authorities, the existing SIM shall be disconnected or no new connection issued; and

- No multiple connections, unless necessary, should be issued.