Shillong, March 11 : The Government of Meghalaya has revoked the suspension of mobile internet services across the Garo Hills region with immediate effect.
In a notification issued by the Home (Political) Department on March 11, 2026, the government withdrew earlier orders that had suspended mobile internet data services in West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, North Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills, and South Garo Hills districts.
The internet suspension had initially been imposed on March 9, 2026, following reports of disturbances in Tura related to the filing of nominations for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections. Authorities had expressed concern that incidents such as assaults on civilians, large gatherings, and the spread of misinformation through social media could potentially disturb public peace and lead to a breakdown of law and order.
Under the earlier order issued by the Home (Political) Department, mobile internet data services of all service providers were suspended for 48 hours in West Garo Hills district starting from midnight of March 10, 2026, under provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.
However, following a review of the situation, the state government has now revoked the notifications issued on March 9 and March 10 that had enforced the suspension across the Garo Hills districts.
Authorities had earlier cautioned that the restrictions were imposed to prevent misuse of social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Instagram for spreading misinformation or content that could escalate tensions.
