New Delhi | 19-12-2019: Political leaders, lodged at Srinagar’s MLA hostel after the abrogation of Article 370, were allowed to have television sets in some rooms along with set-top boxes. They can also meet their families 2-3 times a week, government sources said.
MLAs and other political workers from National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), among others, were shifted to the MLA hostel from Centaur jail at Dal Lake last month, as it lacked proper heating facilities.
Officials told ET that a few mobile phones and phone lines were made operational for the political leaders to speak to their relatives. As many as 33 members from various political parties are presently under detention in Jammu and Kashmir, including former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah.
Farooq’s detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) was extended by three more months last week. As per the home ministry, there are 356 persons from the Valley who have been lodged in various jails across India. Around 250 of them are alleged to be ‘stone-pelters’.
“Many leaders and political workers were released by the state administration after securing bonds and assurance from family members that they will not participate in any political activity,” a senior government official told ET.
Home ministry sources said the decision to restore internet in the Valley and other parts will be taken by the state administration. “They have informed that 280 e-terminals were set up across 10 districts in the Valley since August that were used by over 2.60 lakh people. The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has so far procured 15.49 lakh MT of apples from the Valley and hopes to procure 22.5 lakh MT by March-end. In the last fiscal, NAFED procured 22.5 lakh MT apples, officials added. (Economic Times)
