The Centre has asked the telecom operators to strictly adhere to the Telegraph Act, under which they will now have to disconnect services within two hours if the address or any other document supplied by the customer was not correct.
As per the new guidelines of the Department of Telecommunications, the service provider shall exercise the utmost caution and discretion in providing a second connection or multiple connections.
The service provider shall take into account all relevant factors including the reasons given for seeking a second connection or multiple connections and the income of the person or family concerned.
The guidelines stated, "the degree of verification of an application for a second connection shall be stricter and for a third connection even stricter an so on."
"In any case, no person residing in the state of Jammu and Kashmir shall be entitled to or provided with mobile telephone connections (either prepaid or postpaid) exceeding six in number.
The maximum of six mobile telephone connections shall apply to the mobile connections held by an individual in his or her name as well as the connections held by the members of his or her family," the guidelines said. The guidelines are also applicable for re-verifying, verifying and issuing post-paid mobile connections in the state.
"Re-verification shall be done by the service provider's own outlet or by his franchisee only... special camps for re-verification may also be organised by the service provider after notifying the venues and dates in advance to Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA), state police and the TERM cell of Jammu and Kashmir," the new guidelines issued for mobile connections for the state, said.
"In the case of a negative report from the authorities about the identity or address of the prepaid mobile telephone subscriber, the telephone connection shall be disconnected within two hours of receipt of the report," it said.