All landlines restored, schools, hospitals functioning in J&K: MHA

New Delhi, Sep 12: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday said in a statement that unlike reports claiming grim situation of communication lines in the Valley, "all landlines have been restored, along with postpaid mobiles in Kupwara".

The statement comes after more than a month after the Centre revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, thereby revoking the special status accorded to the Valley.

In a series of tweets, the ministry said that all landline connections have been restored and schools and health institutions, too, are fully functioning. The health institutions, the MHA informed, are functioning with 5,10,870 Out Patient Departments (OPD) and 15,157 surgeries.

The ministry further informed that all banks and ATMs are also functioning and Rs 1.08 crore have been withdrawn from the J&K Bank. It also said that postpaid mobile services have been restored in Kupwara.

The government further said that the healthcare sector is also being closely looked into and that all health institutions are fully functional as of Wednesday (September 11), with 5,10,870 outpatient departments (OPDs) and 15,157 surgical set-ups being operational by now.

On the availability of basic necessities, it assured of adequate stock of petroleum products and food grains and said that over 42,600 trucks had carried essential supplies to the Valley since August 6, the day after its special status was revoked.

The latest ease in restrictions comes amid the ongoing 42nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland in which India and Pakistan clashed on Tuesday.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under a strict security clampdown since August when the unprecedented move was announced. The move also ended the Valley's statehood, creating two separate union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.