National
STD, ISD curbs in J&K to stay
NEW DELHI, JAN. 3. The Government said today that the ban on making STD and ISD calls from Public Call Offices (PCOs) in Jammu and Kashmir will be removed only after an improvement in the situation on the Indo- Pak. border.
This was stated by the Communication and IT Minister, Pramod Mahajan, on the sidelines of the launch of Speednet, an on-line tracking system for speed post, here. ``This was the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) is only obeying the directive of the CCS'', Mr. Mahajan said.
``CCS must have enough reasons to take such a decision of restricting PCO users from making STD and ISD calls,'' Mr. Mahajan said, adding ``this is not a permanent decision. As soon as the situation improves this restriction will be removed.'' The Minister, however, made it clear that the decision to remove the restriction would come only from the CCS and the Ministry of Communication or BSNL have nothing to do with this. - PTI
Shujaat Bukhari
reports from Srinagar:
The withdrawal of the STD and ISD facilities from all PCOs has affected the entire State. It is virtually cut off from the rest of the world as the people largely depended on the PCOs.
Though the facility continues to be available for individuals, the business community and the tourism sector in Jammu, have been severely affected. Same is the case with Internet services and cyber cafes have started winding up. When contacted, the General Manager, BSNL, Sunil Kumar, confirmed that these steps had been taken and said ``it has been done on the directive from higher authorities''.
Around 2,500 PCO owners have been rendered jobless as also hundreds of cyber cafe owners. Political parties have come out against the Centre's decision. ``Whatever business was left is gone now. We cannot even talk outside the Valley'' said a Srinagar businessman, Muzaffar Ahmed. ``If the attack on Parliament is the reason for these things then mobile phones should be banned in Delhi where the militants used the same'' he argued. ``This is to push us into the stone age period'' said Ishfaq Ahmed, a student. The BJP State vice-president, Abdur Rasheed Kabuli, expressed anguish over the decision. ``This should not have been done'' he told The Hindu. ``If there is going to be war and such steps are needed, the Government should explain to the people. The ban will lead to further alienation,'' he said.
Senior leader of the People's Democratic Party and prominent Supreme Court lawyer, Muzaffar Hussain Beig, said the Government move was a denial of the basic rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
``The Government cannot do this unless emergency is declared in the country,'' he said.
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