SMS service messages, including ‘one time passwords’ (OTPs), resumed on Tuesday for 40 lakh subscribers in Kashmir following several requests from the public, particularly the business community, officials here said.
Though the Jammu and Kashmir administration allowed serviceproviders to resume machine-based messages, subscribers will not be allowed tosend any messages from their mobiles, the officials said.
The resumption of service messages will help the generalpublic, especially business-persons, receive service messages from banks, theysaid.
Phones fell silent on August 5, when the Centre revokedJammu and Kashmir’s special status and re-organised the erstwhile State intotwo Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Post-paid mobile phones in Kashmir buzzed back to life aftera gap of 72 days on October 14, but SMS facilities were stopped within a fewhours after the security agencies claimed militants were using SMS services tomobilse people.
Over 25 lakh prepaid mobile phones and internet services,including WhatsApp, remain deactivated for now, the officials said.
On August 17, partial fixed line telephony resumed in theValley. On September 4, nearly 50,000 landlines were declared operational.
In Jammu, communication was restored within days of the blockade and mobile internet restarted around mid-August. However, after its alleged misuse, internet facility on cell phones was snapped on August 18.