GK NEWS NETWORK
Srinagar, Sep 30: The internet-service-providing companies have blocked social networking sites including Facebook and YouTube in Kashmir without any official directive the state government.
The cellular companies have also blocked GPRS facilities on the mobile telephones causing immense inconvenience to the subscribers.
Greater Kashmir received over a dozen telephone calls from different areas of the Valley, complaining that the internet service has been blocked by companies including BSNL, Reliance, Aircel, Airtel and Vodafone.
“The service is completely down. Apart from jamming the social networking sites, the companies have started to put restrictions on general use like e-mails and on search engines as well,” the callers said.
They said their internet devices and GPRS service on mobile is not functioning in the wake of jamming of the service by the concerned cellular companies.
A delegation of businessmen Sunday said the BSNL service on Blackberry was also jammed. “Never has it happened in the past. We are facing huge problems in the communication due to the slow functioning of the service. We had also enquired from the officials of the BSNL but they are not taking our word seriously,” the delegation said.
General Manager Reliance (J&K) Ataullah Haque told Greater Kashmir that every company has jammed Facebook and YouTube but the rest of the services were functioning.
“Basically government has issued a directive to block the Facebook but other services are functioning,” he said.
Asked was the company in possession of the “official directive,” the GM said the document would be with the regulatory department of the company.
When contracted, a top BSNL official said the services have been disrupted on the directions of the State Government.
“We have blocked all the websites and services according to the government directive. Blackberry services have also been stopped,” he said.
However, Minister for Information Technology, Aga Ruhullah has said there is no ban on Facebook and Youtube.
“There is not any ban on these websites. I don’t have proper information of it. I can’t confirm whether there is any technical snag in it,” Ruhullah said.
