New Delhi: Restoration of Internet and mobile services particularly in the Kashmir Valley will take some more time as security agencies feel it could adversely impact the situation in the region. This was decided during a high-level security review meeting on the prevailing situation in J&K, chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday.
During the meeting, national security adviser Ajit Doval, who spent more than 10 days in the Valley, briefed the home minister on the present security scenario in the region. Senior intelligence and security officials, including home secretary Rajiv Gauba and intelligence bureau chief Arvind Kumar, also attended the key meeting.
Sources said one of the issues discussed at Monday’s security review meeting was to help farmers and traders in the Valley involved in apple farming as the fruit season in the Valley was due to start. So adequate measures will be put in place to facilitate movement of apple and other fruits from different regions of the Valley to the wholesale markets.
“Since the Valley caters to a large part of apple production in the country, we are taking adequate steps to ensure movement of trucks to transport fruits to various wholesale markets. The local administration is very sensitive on this issue and will ensure that local farmers do not suffer due to restrictions,” a senior security official said.
It was also decide at the meeting, sources added, to restore Internet and mob-ile services, particularly in the Valley, in a “very gradual manner” as these can contribute to a massive negative campaign on the social media leading to trouble in the Valley. Officials claimed the government was in “no hurry” to start Internet services as of now. Mr Doval briefed the home minister on deployment of security forces in J&K and the general consensus was that adequate personnel had already been posted and there was no immediate need to rush further reinforcements. Both south and central Kashmir have been identified as “sensitive sectors”.
