CM welcomes lifting of ban on pre-paid mobile connectivity

JAMMU, JANUARY 21- Chief Minister, Mr Omar Abdullah today expressed his gratitude to the Union Home Minister, Mr P Chidambram, for positively conceding the recommendations of the State Government with regard to the lifting of ban on pre-paid mobile phones in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Chief Minster said that he had pleaded to the Union Home Minister several times, since the ban had been imposed, for reviewing the decision, mainly for ensuring connectivity which was imperative for a State like Jammu and Kashmir which had many stakes in the tourism trade and economic activity.

The Chief Minister said that this will go a long way in meeting the requirements of the vast number of subscribers and expressed the hope that the service providers shall adhere to the guidelines issued with regard to the pre-paid mobiles so that the general people are not put to any inconvenience.

Vehemently emphasizing that Jammu and Kashmir had to keep pace with the technological development taking place around the globe, the Chief Minister said that intervention like mobile connectivity is a major stride towards achieving this objective. He said the decision of lifting the ban has come as a relief to lakhs of subscribers, as also thousands of young people who are engaged with this activity. The mobile network, he observed, has emerged as a major economic activity with which thousands of youngsters were engaged.