After being overwhelmed by the huge crowd seeking new pre-paid SIM cards, the Nepal Telecom (NT) has suspended their distribution.
In some places like Gongabu and Jawalakhel, angry crowds pelted stones at NT office. Subsequently, police were deployed to control the crowd.

Issuing a notice, the NT has said that it will re-start the distribution after finding alternative ways to manage the huge demands. Reports say before it suspended distribution, the NT had already distributed around 70,000 SIM cards.

The NT had started distribution of pre-paid mobile phone SIM-cards from its offices in the Kathmandu Valley and Dhading district on Friday.

People staying in queue in front of the Nepal Telecom office at Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, to get prepaid mobile SIM cards on Friday, Apr 06 07. nepalnews.com/rh

People staying in queue in front of the Nepal Telecom office at Singha Durbar…
Long queues could be seen in front of Telecom outlets from early morning following the announcement to issue new SIM cards.

NT’s central office at Bhadrakali, and branch offices at Teku, Chhauni, Chabahil, Balambu, Gongabu, Jawalakhel, Bhainsipati and others saw crowds from as early as 3 am.

The NT, Nepal ‘s telecommunication giant, is distributing 100,000 SIM cards from its 14 outlets in the Valley and Dhading office.

This time, SIM cards were issued to applicants immediately after the registration of forms. The rush for pre-paid SIM cards had caused traffic snarls in the morning at different places in the capital.

Meanwhile, the NT’s Dhading branch also had to cope with huge crowd of customers from midnight. The Telecom is distributing SIM cards for the first time in Dhading.