Omar unhappy with pre-paid ban

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New Delhi, November 9 (Agencies): With Jammu & Kashmir Government expressing its displeasure over banning of pre-paid mobile phones, Centre today said the move was temporary and the operations would be restored once the safety mechanism was in place.
Home Ministry officials said the government understands the problem being faced by the 38 lakh pre-paid SIM card holders in the state but it cannot undermine the security risk involved with the process and hence the decision to impose the ban. “We know that 92% of all SIM cards used in Jammu & Kashmir are pre-paid. We are not for a blanket ban on pre-paid connections in the state for all times to come.
“But we have to take note of the fact that in nearly all the cases of SIM cards used in terror activities, the verification has proved that the subscriber and user are never the same,” a senior Home Ministry official said. He said the decision will be reviewed as and when the situation improves. In Jammu, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the mishandling of the issuance of such cards by a small group should not affect the genuine users of the facility.
He said people of the state should not be penalized for the failure of the service providers to adhere to rules of verification of a customer. Home Ministry officials also said it was the separatists who were trying to take the advantage of the situation and staging protests with the help of some other elements.
“If the telecom companies come out with a better optional plan which can plug the security loopholes, we are ready to consider it,” the official said. The Centre imposed the banned with effect from November 1. In Jammu and Kashmir, Airtel has nearly 19 lakh subscribers followed by BSNL having 12 lakh and Aircel having 7 lakh.