Owners to keep record of visitors’ ID, maintain log register
Arteev Sharma, Tribune News Service
Jammu, January 30 Almost four months after a blast rocked the Delhi High Court, which was masterminded in a cyber café in the hilly Kishtwar town last year, the Jammu and Kashmir government has started the registration of all cafés in the state to keep a strict vigil over the Netizens.
The sensitive Jammu and Kashmir — unlike other states of the countries — currently doesn’t have a “regulation or licencing authority” to regulate the functioning of cyber cafés.
The plan aims at ensuring maintenance of registers bearing the name, addresses and other details of the Internet users frequenting cyber cafés.
“Cyber café owners and network service providers, who provide computer services, including Internet access to general public either against payment or free of charge for any purpose, including recreation or amusement, shall register their cyber cafés and network service,” District Magistrate, Udhampur, Pandurang K Pole said while taking a lead in regulating the functioning of cyber cafés in the state.
He said though there was a decline in militancy, untoward incidents couldn’t be ruled out and prevention needed to be taken.
The District Magistrate said the decision was taken as anti-national elements, including militants and over ground workers (OGWs) were using new technology for communication and spread of hatred and terror.
“Cyber cafés and computer centres shall ensure proper identification of users before allowing them to use their computer resources. Proper maintenance and safety of log register and identification documents shall be ensured by café owners or operators,” Pole maintained.
The Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (HUJI) militants had sent a terror email after the Delhi High Court blast in New Delhi, in which 15 people were killed, from a cyber cafe in Kishtwar district in September last year.
Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Dilbagh Singh, however, said there was no regulation or licencing authority to regulate the functioning of cyber cafés in the state.
“At official level, there is no restriction on anyone to run a cyber café in the state. But, we have directed all café owners to follow the standard set of norms,” the IGP said.
He added that all district superintendents of police had been directed to closely monitor the functioning of cyber cafés.
“We have also directed all cafés to install closed-circuit televisions to keep a vigil on Internet users,” Singh added.
