J&K stands excluded from the purview of ‘One Nation One Number’ package purely for security reasons. Under National Telecom Policy, the Government has decided to allow full Mobile Number Portability (MNP). In simple words it means that so far one could change the provider company without changing the mobile number within the state jurisdiction only. But under the new scheme a mobile holder can change the provider company in any part of the country without the need for changing the number of the telephone. The idea behind this scheme is of national integration and it is bound to be received well by the consumers.
However, in view of disturbed conditions in the State and also in view of how the militants have been misusing communication facilities provided by the DoT, the policy planners at the Home and Defence Ministry have found it unavoidable to exclude J&K from this facility. Maybe when conditions return to normalcy the order of excluding J&K could be withdrawn. It has to be noted that a problem in regard to telecom security has already surfaced. The signal towers erected by Pakistan close to our border have their reach up to 20 kilometres inside our border and this is a serious threat to our security. This is in addition to highly sophisticated satellite phones which the terrorists are reported to be using in the course of their infiltration into our side of the line of control. We expect the Department of Telecommunication to take up the matter with seniors and policy planners and devise a mechanism by which the reach of Pakistani towers up to 20 kilometres inside our territory can be checkmated and threat removed. In particular, the Department should be very vigilant about the signals being received in areas close to strategic positions on the border. It is reported that terrorists are distributing mobile phones among some people who live very close to the border wherefrom infiltrators usually try to sneak into our side. The handsets are provided to them to help them monitor the infiltrators while they are holed up in hiding places. In anyway further tightening of communication security is highly advised especially along the borderline.
However, it would be better if Telecom Ministry can find a middle path permitting residents of J&K to avail MNP, without compromising the security concerns aired by Defence Ministry. In this age of Information Technology, denying MNP to J&K residents would be a retrogative decision.
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