The Defence Ministry is ready to allow mobile telephone services in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir but with certain conditions, highly placed sources told PTI on Wednesday night.

The views of the Defence Ministry were conveyed in a letter by its Secretary Ajay Prasad to Union Home Secretary N Gopalaswami on July 28.

The Union home ministry has accorded sanction for commencement of the services earlier this year and passed on the file to the defence ministry for clearance.

The Defence Ministry had raised objections over erection of antennae within the cantonment area in Srinagar citing building by-laws.

Commencement of mobile telephony was delayed at least on three occasions during this year.

According to earlier schedules, the service was to have been inaugurated in April 13.

The second time Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapyee was scheduled to inaugurate it during his April visit. But it was shelved citing technical reasons.

A third time President A P J Abdul Kalam was to inaugurate it, but it again met with the same fate.