In the first step towards easing restrictions, authorities on Saturday restored landline services in 17 exchanges of Kashmir while 2G mobile internet is back in Jammu. More than 50,000 landline phones were made operational after services in 17 exchanges of the Kashmir Valley were restored after a period of about 12 days, officials said. Seventeen out of a little over 100 telephone exchanges were made operational. These exchanges are mainly inCivil Lines area, Cantonment area, airport of Srinagar district, they said. The officials said 20 more exchanges will be operationalised soon.

The landline services have been restored in Budgam, Sonamargand Manigam areas of central Kashmir. In north Kashmir, the services have been restored in Gurez, Tangmarg, Uri Keran Karnah and Tangdhar areas.In southKashmir, the landline services have been made operational in Qazigund andPahalgam areas.

Earlier on Friday, a top Jammu and Kashmir official had hinted easing of restrictions in the coming week. Schools will be opened afterthe weekend area-wise so that children's studies do not suffer, he said.

Meanwhile, he said there has been no loss of life or major injury since restrictions were imposed on August 5, when Jammu and Kashmir'sspecial status under Article 370 was revoked and the state split into two unionterritories. The official had said telecom connectivity will gradually be eased and restore in a phased manner keeping in mind the constant threat posed by terrorist groups to organise terrr actions. Twelve districts in Jammu andKashmir out of 22 were functioning normally while there was limited night-time restrictions only in five districts.Earlier on Friday in Delhi, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said in the Supreme Court that people should trust thesecurity forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and authorities are taking stockof situation on day-to-day basis.He told the court, hearing a petition byKashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin, that some time should be givento bring normalcy in the region.Bhasin had sought removal of restrictionsimposed on working of journalists in the state after scrapping of provisions ofArticle 370 and the restoration of all modes of communication, includingmobile, internet and landline services, throughout the state.