IMPHAL, Aug 12 (PTI): The Manipur High Court has asked the
state government to find ways to provide mobile internet
services to people.
The court was hearing a batch of pleas filed by various parties
seeking restoration of mobile internet services which were
blocked after violence broke out in the state on May 3.
A bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Justice A
Guneshwar Sharma on Friday directed, “…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.”
It also added, “Accordingly, the state authorities are directed to
consider this aspect and to submit a report on the next date.”
During the hearing, the state’s counsel submitted that the
Manipur government had, earlier, issued necessary orders
lifting the ban on providing internet through broadband
services (ILL & FTTH) in a liberalised manner.
The counsel said this “was subject to fulfilment of certain
safeguards/terms and conditions and as of now, many citizens
have availed such internet services.”
Counsel for the petitioners submitted that since there has been
no data leakage through the whitelisted mobile phones, the
high court can pass appropriate orders directing the state to
whitelist all mobile phones in a gradual manner.
The counsel said authorities have conducted physical trials
about revoking the mobile internet ban by whitelisting certain
mobile numbers.
As per the report submitted by service providers, there is no
data leakage to any other numbers which are not whitelisted,
the counsel added.
An indefinite Mobile internet ban has been in force in Manipur
since May 3 after violence broke out in the state.
The court will again hear the matter on August 31.
