Ban on prepaid mobile phones annoys J&K public

SRINAGAR: The ban on prepaid mobile phones in Jammu and Kashmir has not only left people of the state annoyed, but the security forces deployed in the state are distressed over getting disconnected from their families.

Ban on prepaid services in border areas has left troops and labour class agitated more than anyone else.

"We are far away from our homes and would at times speak to our families by way of prepaid connections. It is not possible for a jawan or a labourer to have a postpaid connection for being located at a distant place since paying bills becomes a major issue," an army jawan Tika Ram said.

Though the Centre has made provisions of converting prepaid connections into postpaid, but this does not make the troops sitting at the borders happy, he said.

Troops manning the heights of Ladakh were of the view that it is not possible for any of them to have access to their proposed service of postpaid due to administrative problems.

They said that the only option for them is the existing validity of the prepaid numbers.

In Kargil, people could be seen making frantic calls to customer care centres of various mobile companies seeking finer details of the ban imposed on prepaid connections.

The locals, who were happy with the arrival of private players in the field have begun condemning the government decision.