Raising slogans, more than 250 traders, social activists and PCO owners assembled at Jehangir Chowk in the heart of the city and marched in a procession to Pratap Park.
Protests over ban on prepaid mobile connections in Jammu and Kashmir continued in the state today with traders, social activists and people associated with the telecom sector taking out a protest march here.
Raising slogans, more than 250 traders, social activists and PCO owners assembled at Jehangir Chowk in the heart of the city and marched in a procession to Pratap Park where their leaders addressed them.
"Banning prepaid SIMs on security concerns does not mean that government can punish nearly 40 lakh mobile subscribers," President Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) Mohammad Yasin Khan
Terming the ban as "ridiculous", he said, "Government has negated its own statements regarding improvement in the situation in the state.
"The ban has caused problems to million of customers in the state. If the prepaid mobile service can be availed all over India, why not in Kashmir?", he asked and demanded immediate reconsideration of the ban.
Demanding that the ban be lifted, president of J&K STD, PCO owners association, B A Dar said the ban has severely hit the people associated with the telecom industry, rendering 20,000 retail outlet owners jobless.
"A single outlet used to generate Rs10,000 monthly by selling recharge coupons. But after the ban, their livelihood has been jeopardised", he said.
Besides, Dar claimed that the ban has rendered some engineers and people working in mobile repair shops jobless.
"If government cannot restart the prepaid services, then they should provide jobs to the people rendered jobless by the ban", he demanded.
Terming the ban as unjustified, a social activist said, "Proper verification should have been done by telecom operators instead of banning the service. I don't know why customers and retail outlets have to suffer for government's recklessness".
"We have joined traders and people related with telecom sector to hold peaceful demonstrations against the ban, he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}