Shops, schools to reopen where restrictions are lifted: J&K administration

Restrictions on the movement of people have now been eased in 81 police station areas across the Valley, officials said.

Soldiers stand guard at a closed market in central Srinagar on August 27, 2019.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday said shops and business establishments can open in areas where restrictions have been lifted while efforts have been made to ensure restoration of public transport services in the Kashmir Valley. High schools will reopen from Wednesday in areas where restrictions have been lifted, officials added.

Addressing a press conference, Jammu and Kashmir Director of Information and Public Relations Sehrish Asgar said steps are being taken to open a few more telephone exchanges in the Valley for revival of landline telephone connections in more areas.

"Shops can open wherever the restrictions have been lifted," Ms. Asgar said, replying to a question on when the business establishments will open. "The Education Department has decided to open all high schools in Kashmir Valley from tomorrow in the areas where relaxations have been provided," she added.

She said restrictions on the movement of people have now been eased in 81 police station areas across the Valley. “The restrictions have been eased out in more police station areas, now taking the total number to 81. The curbs will be eased out in 10 more areas on Thursday,” she said.

Ms. Asgar said landline telephone services will be restored by Tuesday evening.

Briefing the reporters about the status of schools, Director Education Kashmir Younis Malik said 3,037 primary schools and 774 middle schools have re-opened across the valley.

He said there has been significant improvement in the attendance of teachers in the schools in the past one week.

"We are making best efforts to increase student attendance in the schools," he said.

Giving details about the situation, SSP Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal, said no major untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the Valley.

"We have not witnessed any major incidents today. Two minor incidents have been reported from Srinagar - one near Tatoo Ground and another in Hawal area. They have been dealt with and we are closely monitoring the situation," he said.

Many services including mobile and Internet were suspended since August 5 when the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and reorganised the State into two Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.