Journalists in South Kashmir’s Anantnag and Pulwama districts are up in arms against authorities for not allowing them to avail the internet facilities.
Authorities have created ‘Media Facilitation Centre’ in Kashmir capital Srinagar for the Journalists but no such facility is available to the scribes in Anantnag and Pulwama.
A number of Journalists from these districts told Kashmir News Trust that they have to travel to Srinagar to check their emails and send the stuff to their agencies. “We spent over Rs 500 on daily basis to reach Srinagar. There is no internet facility in our district,” said a freelance Journalist Muneeb-ul-Islam.
Another Journalist Wasim Dar said that District Administration Anantnag told them categorically that higher ups have issued directions to them not to provide any internet facility to Journalists in the district. “We were disappointed at the response from district administration when we met the officials here,” he said.
Same situation persists in district Pulwama as well. Senior Photo Journalist associated with “Rising Kashmir’ said that he visits Srinagar to avail internet facility. “It is cumbersome for me. I leave back to my town on my Scooty when it is dark. Besides, I have to bear expenses on daily basis,” Nisar Elahi said.
Journalists are facing tough time across Kashmir. Since August 5, when Government of India read down Special Status of Jammu and Kashmir, common people have been barred from using internet facility while for Journalists in Srinagar, a ‘Media Facilitation Centre’ has been created where Journalists have to wait for their turn to avail the facility. (KNT)