Centre convenes high-level meeting tomorrow for J&K mobiles

With the Centre showing its willingness to resume pre-paid mobile services in J&K , a high-level meeting has been convened tomorrow to discuss fine-tuning the procedure of customer verification with service providers.

With the Centre showing its willingness to resume pre-paid mobile services in Jammu and Kashmir, a high-level meeting has been convenedon Saturday to discuss fine-tuning the procedure of customer verification with service providers.

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The meeting to be chaired by Home Secretary G K Pillai, will discuss the issue with telecom operators who had been asked to work out a fool proof plan to ensure that a proper verification is conducted, official sources said.

The meeting will be attended by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary S S Kapur, Police Chief Kuldeep Khoda, Additional Director General (CID) K Rajendra Kumar and other top officials of Intelligence Bureau and Ministry of Home Affairs.

The state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked the Centre to work out a plan as quickly as possible as the ban on pre-paid mobile as it has affected 38 lakh customers, which comprise 95 per cent of total clientele in the state.

Earlier this month, the cellular service operators were asked by the government to travel to the state for having discussions with the officials there for fine tuning the procedures in issuing the pre-paid service to customers.

The CEOs of various telecom companies, who had come to attend a meeting chaired by Union Home secretary G K Pillai, were told in categorical terms that government had no objection in starting the services if a foolproof verification process was ensured by them, the sources said.

Amid security concerns, the Centre had in October banned pre-paid mobile phone connections in the state, sparking widespread protests.