Pre-paid SMS ban in J&K taken at behest of Home Mi

Jammu: The decision of banning pre-paid SMS service in Jammu & Kashmir on security considerations was taken at the behest of the Home Affairs Ministry, Minister of State for Communication and IT Sachin Pilot said on Thursday.

He expressed hope that the issue would be resolved in the future. The ban on the pre-paid SMS service in the state has been in place since 2010 in view of the security and law and order considerations. "My Ministry only executes the wishes of the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs)," Pilot told reporters here while replying to a query on ban on SMSes in the state. Pilot, who inaugurated a modernised Speed Post Centre at Jammu University here, said: "We hope that some time in future -- we will be able to resolve the issue -- because people of Jammu and Kashmir, I think, deserve the facility". "But there are certain considerations of internal security that has to be kept in the mind," he said, adding, "We are working on it with the state government". PTI