11-19-2009, 08:00 PM
The government’s decision to ban prepaid cell phones in Kashmir may have been a well thought off plan from their end but the adverse effects are now showing within the community in the region. The idea was of course to help curb rebel situation in the area by limiting the option of easy access to cheap communication options, in this case, pre paid mobile access.
However the ban has stirred up the community, who obviously require the cheaper mobile services that the pre-paid communication system offers. It has led to angry protests amid warnings. Basheer Ahmed Dar, the chairman of the regional telephone owners association, said that about 20,000 jobs were in jeopardy due to this ban. The reports mentioned that activists from the pro-India People's Democratic Party demonstrated against the decision in Srinagar claiming discrimination on the part of the government.
The biggest problem with the situation is that yes it is a cheaper mode of combination as compared to billing and yes it’s extremely easy to get a prepaid connection as it requires a rather limited number of documents and id. Checks usually occur only after about a month wherein the provider will simply bar your capabilities to making calls but incoming calls will still remain active till all documents are provided. Prepaid cards can be found at almost any shop including general stores and most times, even after providing documents, the dealers don’t send them in. There’s no verification on site and cards are active on the spot.
However the ban has stirred up the community, who obviously require the cheaper mobile services that the pre-paid communication system offers. It has led to angry protests amid warnings. Basheer Ahmed Dar, the chairman of the regional telephone owners association, said that about 20,000 jobs were in jeopardy due to this ban. The reports mentioned that activists from the pro-India People's Democratic Party demonstrated against the decision in Srinagar claiming discrimination on the part of the government.
The biggest problem with the situation is that yes it is a cheaper mode of combination as compared to billing and yes it’s extremely easy to get a prepaid connection as it requires a rather limited number of documents and id. Checks usually occur only after about a month wherein the provider will simply bar your capabilities to making calls but incoming calls will still remain active till all documents are provided. Prepaid cards can be found at almost any shop including general stores and most times, even after providing documents, the dealers don’t send them in. There’s no verification on site and cards are active on the spot.