New Delhi (ILNS): The Home department of the Jammu and Kashmir government has issued an order to continue 2G speed internet till November 26 in the valley.

The order came in the wake of apprehensions about the misuse of high-speed Internet to disrupt the district development council and panchayat polls.

Making a few exceptions to this order the order, Home Department Principal Secretary Shaleen Kabra stated that high-speed data services will continue in Ganderbal and Udhampur districts.

The government order said: “The recently announced elections to 280 district development council constituencies and by-elections to more than 13,400 vacancies in the PRI’s/ULB spread across the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, are witnessing high level of interest amongst the people and it is apprehended that the terrorists and separatist elements shall make every possible attempt to disrupt the democratic process.

“While the postpaid SIM-card holders shall continue to be provided access to the Internet, these services shall not be made available on prepaid SIM cards unless verified as per norms applicable for postpaid connections,” said the order.

Barely hours after the Supreme Court ruled out restoration of 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir, mobile internet was resumed in the Kashmir Valley albeit at 2G speeds.

The services, which have been mostly off during the last few months were restored couple of months back but was again cut off in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district last Wednesday.

Yesterday, a three judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice N V Ramana disposed off a plea to resume internet at 4G speed in the Valley but set up a committee to look into the matter and suggest a way out that would take into the account both the citizens plight as well as the security concerns for the country.

Ordering restoration of 2G internet services, Principal Secretary, Home, Shaleen Kabra, maintained that high-speed internet could be used by inimical elements to coordinate terror attacks or incite people by circulating propaganda material.

All internet services were snapped in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir on August 4 last year, hours before the Centre announced the decision to bifurcate the state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The internet services have since been restored in a phased manner, but the speed is extremely slow, which inhibits exchange of large files like videos, high-resolution pictures and live-streaming of educational classes.

-India Legal Bureau