New Delhi:The Centre has authorised the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise key telecom-related powers during situations involving public safety or national emergencies, according to an official gazette notification issued on Thursday.
The new order allows the LG administration to take steps such as intercepting messages, suspending telecom services, blocking transmission signals and ordering decryption of messages whenever authorities believe there is a threat to public safety or national security in the Union Territory.
The powers have been granted under Sub-Section 20(2) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, which deals with emergency measures related to telecom networks and communication systems.
According to the notification, the President has directed the LG to perform the functions that are otherwise exercised by a state government under the law.
“In pursuance of clause (1) of article 239 of the Constitution, the President hereby directs that the administrator (whether known as the lieutenant governor) of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall, subject to the control of the President and until further orders, exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the state government under Sub-Section (2) of Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (44 of 2023), within the said Union territory,” the notification published in the gazette on Thursday said.
The move means that during emergencies, the LG administration can order telecom operators and service providers to temporarily suspend internet and communication services, intercept signals or messages, and even seek decryption of communications if required in the interest of public safety.
Officials said these powers can be used during situations such as security threats, public unrest, or any event considered a national emergency.
The decision comes amid continued security concerns in the Union Territory, where internet shutdowns and telecom restrictions have often been used by authorities in the past during periods of heightened tension.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, replaced several older colonial-era telecom laws and gives the government broader powers over telecom infrastructure and communication networks during emergency situations. The latest notification formally extends these powers to the J&K LG under the constitutional framework governing Union Territories.
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