Internet services in seven district of West Bengal will be temporarily suspended for eight days as a preventive measure to avoid unlawful activities during the secondary examinations in the state.

"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 Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department said in a statement.

"The restriction will be imposed in a few blocks under the districts of Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Birbhum and Darjeeling on March 7 to 9, March 11 and 12 and on March 15 and 16 from 11:00 am to 3:15 pm," the statement added.

However, no restriction will be imposed on voice calls, SMS and newspapers, it further stated.

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Around 11.2 lakh students will be appearing for the secondary exams across 4,194 centres in the state from Monday.

“Intelligence reports have been received that Internet transmissions and voice over internet telephony may be used for unlawful activities in certain areas over the next few days…Examination of the information received gives reason to believe that such unlawful activities are likely to occur in the absence of preventive measures,” the statement further read.

“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,” it added.

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