The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Jammu & Kashmir government in a plea seeking restoration of 4G speed for mobile internet services in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, amidst the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Bench Consisting of Justices NV Ramana, R Subhash Reddy and BR Gavai issued Notice to the standing counsel for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir as also the Union of India through E-mail.
The authorities had earlier passed an order on March 26 restricting the internet speed in the Union Territory to 2G only. The petition challenges this order as being violative of Articles 14, 19, 21, and 21A of the Constitution of India.
It was mentioned in the Petition that Respondent No. 2 has launched various laudable initiatives such as the Ministry of Health’s COVID 19 dashboard and MyGovIndia’s WhatsApp chatbot, which responds to queries and counters COVID-19 myths with text, infographics and videos that require access to fast internet. However, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir are unable to access potentially life saving information from these services due to the impugned order, thus violating their fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution.
It was Further Contended that With limited and restricted access to the internet, patients and doctors are unable to access latest information, advisories, and guidelines; schools are unable to impart education online; employees are unable to work from home; and even access to the High Court is affected.
The Bench after hearing Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi along with Advocate Shadan Farasat Through Video Conferencing Issued Notice to Respondent.
Read Order Here:
