IANS
Jammu, Dec 13: The home ministry has turned down the Jammu and Kashmir government's plea to lift the ban on the prepaid mobile phone connections in the state, saying the restriction was a "security requirement".
Home Secretary G.K. Pillai, who concluded his two-day-visit of Jammu and Kashmir Saturday, made it plain to state government officials that prepaid mobile services cannot be restored in Jammu and Kashmir at the moment, official sources told IANS.
He also advised the officials to stop raising the issue as it was causing "an unnecessary controversy and helping the separatists".
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had requested Home Minister P. Chidambaram during a meeting in New Delhi early this week to withdraw the ban.
Prepaid mobile services in Jammu and Kashmir had been banned from Nov 1 on concerns they were being misused by terrorists.
The ban has affected 3.8 million subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir.