A special committee looking into the difficulty of restoring internet in Jammu and Kashmir has decided to supply 4G services unproved basis in limited areas of the Union Territory after Assumption, the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana was informed by Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, that the committee has decided to carry trials for top speed internet access in one district each in Jammu and Kashmir division.
The Committee has decided that access to 4G internet in J-K tend during a calibrated manner and outcome of the trial are going to be reviewed after two months, he said, adding that it considered multiple options while keeping in mind the safety situation because the threat perception remained high.
The bench also comprising Justices R Subhash Reddy and B R Gavai said this is often a reasonably good stand on the a part of the respondents — the Centre and therefore the J-K administration.
It said that since both the administrations are saying they’re going to review it later then why the matter be kept pending.
Venugopal further said that there was no case of contempt made out because the orders of the court were being complied with.
Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for petitioner NGO Foundation for Media Professionals’, said this was a breakthrough but still some concern remains.
He raised the difficulty of publication and bringing publicly domain the special committee’s orders as also its periodic reviews.
Ahmadi said he wasn’t pressing for contempt in sight of the Attorney General’s submissions.
The bench was hearing the contempt plea filed by the NGO seeking action against authorities for not complying with the apex court’s direction on restoration of 4G internet services.
High speed internet services in J-K were suspended in August last year when the Centre announced revocation of its special status and bifurcation of the state into two UTs — Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
