MAY 22:
In a pro-active gesture to yatris undertaking the annual pilgrimage to the sacred shrine of Amarnath, BSNL will issue special pre-paid SIM cards to keep them connected throughout.
At present, prepaid connections from States other than Jammu & Kashmir do not work, as per guidelines of the Department of Telecommunications. Yatris having post-paid SIMs can be connected through the roaming network, BSNL officials said at a review meeting held by the Union Minister of ICT Killi Kruparani. The Minister asked the Government undertaking in the J&K circle to complete all works related to the Amarnath yatra before June.
The Minister visited Pahalgam and held a meeting with BSNL officials on the telecom facilities for the annual yatra. This year the pilgrimage is expected to begin on June 28. About 5 lakh devotees are expected to visit the holy cave which houses the ice Siva Linga. Amarnath is one of the most revered pilgrim places for Hindus across the world.
Further, nine base terminal stations would be commissioned to improve the overall coverage of mobile services on the route, the Minister was informed. She wanted all the stations to be functional before the yatra commences.