Mobile services remain disrupted in North
Following the killing of two mobile vendors in Sopore town this week, mobile telecommunication services continue to remain disrupted in the township and adjoining areas in this North Kashmir district.Reports said except state-owned BSNL, almost all the outlets of different telecom companies including Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone remained shut in Sopore, Sheeri, Pattan, Sangrama, Delina, Chandoosa, Kreeri, Wagoora and other townships of Baramulla district.
“The telecom companies have closed their showrooms. We are unable to recharge balance as the vendors and telecom outlets are reluctant to open their shops. Even if some of open their outlets, they don’t recharge the balance,” a group of subscribers said.
They said mobile internet facility has also suffered breakdown in Sopore and other parts of Baramulla.
The telecom franchisees are reluctant to open their shops following threat and killing of two mobile vendors in the Sopore town.
“The telecom companies will suffer heavy losses due to continued closure of telecom outlets. But nobody is going to take risk of opening the outlets,” said owner of an outlet in Baramulla.
He said fear and panic has gripped the people associated with the telecom business in entire Baramulla.
In Sopore town, all the outlets of different telecom companies remained closed and people had to recharge balance from far off places including Srinagar.
Meanwhile, a senior official of state-owned BSNL told us that they have not officially closed their outlets and all their offices are functioning in the districts.
” Our outlets and offices are functional,” he said.
All the outlets of telecom companies have remained close in Sopore for last three days.
A BSNL franchise employee was killed and two others injured when unidentified gunmen attacked the outlet in Shah Faesal market in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Monday morning.
Another person, who had provide space on rent to a mobile tower in Pattan, was also attacked by unidentified gunmen.
On Tuesday evening, a person, who had given space to a mobile tower in his compound, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Dooru village of Sopore.
Earlier, threat posters surfaced in the town warning telecom operators to shun their business.
The attacks and the killings have evoked widespread condemnation from separatist and mainstream camp.
