Bharti Airtel Files Application in Supreme Court to Review Amount of Dues

Currently, the biggest problem that the telecom operators in the industry seem to be facing is related to the dues that they have to pay to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in the name of the new Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) decision from the Supreme Court. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are the worst hit telecom operators in this regard as they have to pay the most dues. However, in an attempt to find a way out of this situation, according to an ET report, Bharti Airtel has moved Supreme Court to allow the telecom operator and the government agree on quantum of adjusted gross revenue. It is worth noting that Bharti Airtel has already filed a review petition with the SC over the matter of AGR decision. But, following this move, the Sunil Bharti Mittal led telco has also filed an application in the apex court to seek a modification of the court’s order of October 24 to permit Airtel and the government to ascertain the amount to be paid and “a mutually acceptable basis for the discharge of the same” over an agreed period of time.

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Airtel Still Seeking Some Relief

As per the lawyers, Bharti Airtel is seeking some legal pathway to discuss options with the government regarding the AGR dues to dampen the effect of the blow which its balance sheets have suffered after the declaration of the new dues from the DoT. To recall, the telecom operators were expecting some kind of relief from the government in addition to the two years payment moratorium which has been given to the telcos. However, that relief has been scrapped off from the agenda, and the telcos will not get ant kind of tax benefits or reduction in the license or spectrum fee. Now the government has also said that it cannot provide relief to the telecom operators on the AGR issue unless there is an order from the SC.