Guwahati: The Manipur High Court on Friday directed the state government to find ways to provide mobile internet services to people of the strife-torn state. The High Court was hearing a batch of pleas filed by several parties seeking the restoration of mobile internet services in the state.
During the hearing, counsel for the state authorities M Rarry submitted that in terms of the earlier directions given by the court, the state government has issued necessary orders lifting the ban on providing internet through broadband services in a liberalised manner subject to fulfillment of certain safeguards, terms, and conditions and as of now, many of the public have availed such internet services.
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Rarry further submitted that the authorities have conducted physical trials with regard to revoking the mobile internet ban by whitelisting certain mobile numbers and as per the report submitted by the service providers, there is no data leakage to any other numbers which are not whitelisted and so the High Court can pass appropriate order directing the state to take necessary steps for whitelisting mobile phones in a gradual manner for providing internet services.
In this regard, the counsel further submitted that the state authorities may be given two weeks time to devise certain measures and mechanism for white-listing mobile phones and the liberty to white-list mobile numbers on case to case basis and in a phase-wise manner.
"After hearing the submissions advanced by the counsel appearing for the parties, we are of the considered view that the State authorities, specially, the Home Department should consider for devising mechanism/methods for providing internet services through mobile phones by whitelisting the mobile numbers on case to case basis and in a phase-wise manner. Accordingly, the State authorities are directed to consider this aspect and to submit a report on the next date," the high court's order read.
The High Court will hear the matter next on August 31.
Internet services were indefinitely banned in Manipur from May 3 after violence erupted in the state.
Over 160 people have been killed and several hundred have been left injured ever since the ethnic clashes broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Though there have been no reports of any major incident in the last two days, simmering tension still prevails throughout the state.
Security forces have been keeping a tight vigil to prevent the recurrence of any untoward incident.
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