SRINAGAR, Sept 28:
The courier delivery of all service providers remained suspended for the 55th day today in Kashmir valley, as mobile and internet services of all cellular companies, including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), remained shut since August 5.
However, restoration of landline phones during the first week of September in the Valley has brought some relief to the people, who could not contact their dear ones within and outside the Valley, due to total communication blackout for a month.
“Our services entirely depend on communicating with our clients. As mobile and internet services have been suspended, we have no means to communicate with our clients, necessary to deliver the goods to them,” courier service provider Shabir Ahmad said.
“The operations will remain halted, till the gag on communication is over,” he said.
However, the outgoing courier service was operational. “Our clients are now regularly coming to our centre early in the morning and giving us the goods, which they want to be delivered to other parts of the country. We take the goods and then process them accordingly,” he added.
The mobile network of all cellular companies, besides internet remained suspended for the 55th day today in the Valley, where life remained crippled due to strike and restrictions against scrapping of Articles 370 and 35 A and bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories.
The delivery system of Post Offices also remained suspended. Huge number of letters, parcels and other material remained undelivered, as most of the Post Offices remained closed.
However, the General Post Office (GPO) was functioning and people were collecting their goods and letters from there, after presenting proper identification.
The GPO has also opened a special counter for the delivery of Passports to applicants.
The communication network was suspended across Kashmir valley, including Srinagar, on August 5 as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours after the special status of the State was scrapped. Suspension of the communication—landline, mobile and internet—network evoked sharp reaction, particularly from the families whose relatives were outside the Valley.
It was in the last week of August that landlines were restored to subscribers connected with Barzulla and Sonawar telephone exchanges. Landline phones of subscribers, including all media organizations, from main BSNL telephone exchange were restored only on September 5.
Due to suspension of internet service, journalists working for different media organizations, including News Agencies, were badly hit. However, later administration set up a media facilitation centre at Sonawar in the city, where journalists are filing their stories to their respective media organizations.
Officials said the mobile phones would also be restored in the Valley soon. However, they said the communication network was suspended, as it was being misused to spread rumours. (UNI)
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