VODAFONE Idea and Tata Group have made part payment of about Rs 2,500 crore and over Rs 2,190 crore, respectively, to the telecom department towards statutory dues, a Government official said on Monday. The official source privy to the development said that while VIL has made payment of Rs 2,500 crore, Tata Group has paid over Rs 2,190 crore.

THE Supreme Court on Monday refused to accept telecom firm Vodafone’s proposal to pay Rs 2,500 crore by Monday and Rs 1,000 crore by Friday against adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues and that no coercive action be taken against it. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra declined to accept the proposal given by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Vodafone, after he mentioned the matter. Rohatgi said the bank guarantee deposited with the Government by Vodafone should also not be encashed.

WITH the Government coming down heavily on telcos after the Supreme Court’s rap, Bharti Airtel on Monday said it has paid Rs 10,000 crore to the telecom department towards statutory dues. The company said it will make payment of balance amount after self-assessment exercise. “The...Amount of Rs 10,000 crore has been paid on behalf of Bharti Airtel, Bharti Hexacom, and Telenor,” the Sunil Mittal-led company said in a statement.

 

As much as Rs 9,500 crore has been paid on behalf of Bharti Airtel (including Telenor India which merged with the company), and another Rs 500 crore for Bharti Hexacom. As per the Government’s assessment, Airtel owes nearly Rs 35,586 crore in statutory dues, including licence fee and spectrum usage charge.

 

After facing the ire of the Supreme Court for putting on hold recovery of dues from telecom companies, the telecom department on February 14 began issuing orders asking firms such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to clear past dues immediately. The DoT swung into action and started issuing circle or zone-wise demand notices to firms, asking telcos cough up their liabilities immediately or face action in line with licence terms without any further notice.

 

On February 14 (Friday), Airtel had said it will pay Rs 10,000 crore to the Department of Telecommun-ications by February 20 and the remaining before March 17. But on Monday, the company rushed to make part payments and said, “we are in the process of completing the self assessment exercise expeditiously and will duly make the balance payment upon completion of the same, before the next date of hearing in (the) SC”. The company said it will also submit supporting details at the time of making balance payment.