Kashmir ban on pre-paid mobiles lifted, Omar welcomes step (Second Lead)

JAMMU/NEW DELHI - More than two months after it banned pre-paid mobile connections in Jammu and Kashmir citing security concerns, the government revoked the ban, but with stringent terms for identity verification. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday welcomed the move, saying it would bring relief to lakhs of customers.

The ban, imposed Nov 1 last year, had evoked sharp criticism from people of the state and the state government.

The decision to lift the ban was taken 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 earlier even taken to the Supreme Court.

“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.

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

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

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

Mobile service providers have to “adhere scrupulously” to the new guidelines laid down by the telecom ministry.

According to the new guidelines:

- Every existing pre-paid 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.

“Ordinarily no individual may subscribe to more than one mobile telephone connection, either pre-paid or post-paid,” said the new advisory.

An individual desiring to avail of a second connection or multiple connections has been asked to disclose all other mobile phone numbers and the reasons for seeking more connections. The degree of verification for more connections will be even more stricter,

The ban had affected nearly 85 percent of the estimated 45 lakh mobile phone subscribers in the state after the central government said it had reports that many of these pre-paid SIMs were being issued without proper verification.

Some of the SIM cards were used by militants to stay in touch with one another and also to trigger landmines.

The chief minister had expressed his unhappiness over the ban and taken up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.