Mobile internet services, which were suspended on February 11 in view of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march call by farmers’ unions, were restored in seven districts of Haryana on Sunday morning.
Mobile internet services and bulk SMSes will now be available in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa as the Haryana government decided not to extend the suspension order after February 25 midnight.
Individual SMS, voice calls, banking SMS and internet services provided by broadband and lease lines of corporate and household though were exempted from the shutdown in public interest. Residents welcomed the government’s decision as a resident of Ambala remarked, “Restoration of mobile internet services after a gap of several days is a big relief,” said Kamal.
The suspension was extended on February 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23 and 24. Officials said no fresh order has been issued to extend the suspension of the mobile services in the seven districts.
According to an earlier order issued by the home department, the restrictions were imposed “to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in jurisdictions of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa, including Dabwali, districts in Haryana”.
The ongoing ‘Delhi Chalo’ farmer protest is being spearheaded by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to pressurise the Centre to accept farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops and a farm loan waiver. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Friday had said that the protesting farmers camping at the two border points will continue to be stationed there till February 29.
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