Strict rules for restoring internet in govt offices

Authorities in Kashmir have kept a rider for resuming broadband and lease line internet facility to government offices according to which the head of the department has to file an undertaking that he will be held responsible for any misuse of the facility.

The undertaking reads: “That from the allowed IP there will be no social networking, proxies, VPN’s and wi-fi activity carried. That no encrypted file containing any sort of video/photo will be uploaded.”

A senior police officer told DH that any head of the department wishing internet facility to be restored has to submit the undertaking to the police, with his initials, agreeing to the dos and don’ts outlined in the undertaking.

“The step was taken to ensure that anti-national elements don’t misuse internet facility provided to government offices. In case of any misuse of the internet, the official who signs the undertaking will be held responsible,” he said.

“In the past, WiFi facilities at government offices were misused by anti-national elements and keeping in view the prevailing uncertain situation in Kashmir, it become imperative to keep a proper check on the use of internet facility,” the officer added.

Hours before the Parliament scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 30 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories, a communication blockade was imposed in the region. While landline and post-paid mobile phone services were restored by October 14 in a phased manner, the internet facilities are still snapped.

The internet gag badly hit students, researchers, businessmen and government offices. An official from an engineering department said as their work was badly hit, the field departments took up the matter with the respective administrative heads at the Civil Secretariat, the highest seat of governance in J&K.
After deliberations, the government brought the issue to the notice of security agencies, who finally agreed to restore the service after submission of an undertaking to police that the internet service will not be misused.

The undertaking also makes it binding on the offices to provide access to all its content and infrastructure as and when required by security agencies.