SRINAGAR, OCT 01 : The telecom sector of Jammu and Kashmir has lost more than Rs 150 Crorein last one and half month as Mobile internet service continues to remain snapped since abrogation of Article 370.
According to the news agency, Jammu and Kashmir has about 1.15 crore mobile subscribers who are bearing the brunt of the present communication gag.
The subscribers meanwhile have been demanding waving off their bills for the period when they couldn’t use the services.
An official of Telecom Company requesting anonymity said no mobile tower has been shut in Kashmir and that all the cellular companies who have their operations in Valley have kept their respective towers fully functional. “There are some senior officials in the government who have their mobile phones working and also if we shut down any tower, it would take a lot of time to restore it again,” said the official.
He added the companies have incurred losses more than 150 Crore in past one and half month.
The official said that cellular industry couldn’t collected more than 40 Crorelast month from Jammu and Kashmir which led then more Rs 100 Crore loss. “Jammu and Kashmir recorded maximum growth in the last quarter among all the state of India, in the telecom sector, but last month has proved drasticfor us in the state”.
By December 2018 Jammu and Kashmir had mobile perceptionof more than 10237929 GSM cell phones. For every 100 people, telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAL) statistics suggest, there are 109.19 phones. There are 13.84 million phone subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier BJP senior leader and former Deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta hinting that that the ongoing communication blockade will continue till the situation witnesses some betterment, said that the BJP is aware of the hardships people face due to absence of internet and mobile telephony but the gag is very much in peoples’ interest.
He added that the party will take up the issue of communication gag in Valley with the union government and urge it to establish more helpline services so that people could contact with their dear ones.
Kashmir Valley continues to witness cellular as well as internet shutdown since August 05 following the abortion of Article 370 and 35A and Jammu and Kashmir’s division in two union territories, Jammu Kashmir and Ladkah. (PTK)
