Kolkata: There will be no Internet services for seven days in seven districts of West Bengal to prevent ‘unlawful’ activities.
State additional chief secretary (Home and Hill Affairs) said in a statement that the restriction will be imposed in a few blocks under the districts of Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Birbhum and Darjeeling on March 7 to 9, March 11, 12, 15 and 16 from 11 am to 3.15 pm.
“The government has received intelligence reports that unlawful activities can be carried in certain areas over internet transmissions and voice-over internet telephony and hence restrictions are being imposed on the use of the Internet,” the state informed.
Though ‘unlawful activities’ weren’t specified, the dates and timings pointed to state Board examinations which get underway on March 7, with 11.2 lakh candidates to sit for offline tests across 4,194 centres in the state.
“Any data-related message, or class of messages, to or from any person or class of persons relating to any particular subject brought for transmission by or transmitted or received by any telegraph within the ambit of the India Telegraph Act, 1885, shall temporarily not be transmitted in the interest of maintaining public order and preventing incitement to the commission of any offence within the jurisdiction of the Block/Police Stations listed in the Annexure and duly authenticated by me,” the statement said.
There will be no restriction on voice calls or sending of SMS.
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