Loss-making telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Monday said it has made an additional payment of Rs 3,354 crore towards adjusted gross revenue (AGR) to the Department of Telecom (DoT), thereby completing payment of principal amount calculated on a self-assessment basis.
The comment assumes significance as the government on March 4 had asked Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and other telecom companies to pay the remaining adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues as per the Supreme Court order without further delay.
The government has received part payment of about Rs 25,900 crore from telecom operators towards statutory dues and has again directed telcos to make full payments, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
Vodafone Idea on Friday said its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) liabilities stand at Rs 21,533 crore as per its self assessment, and that the calculation of dues has been filed with the telecom department.
The government on Wednesday asked Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and other telecom companies to pay remaining AGR dues as per the Supreme Court order without further delay, according to sources.
The government has detached gas utility GAIL India, explorer Oil India and other PSUs from a Supreme Court order that had led to Rs 1.47 lakh crore being sought from telecom firms such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea in past dues, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio on Tuesday paid cumulative over Rs 6,000 crore to the government towards deferred spectrum dues while Tatas said it has deposited another Rs 2,000 crore for ad hoc statutory liabilities.
Tatas have made an additional payment of about Rs 2,000 crore to the telecom department on ad hoc basis towards their AGR liabilities, a source said.
The "test checks" as promised by the government on AGR-hit telecom companies' dues assessment could start this week for large telcos, according to a senior DoT official.
Vodafone Idea has demanded fixing minimum tariffs for mobile data at Rs 35 per GB, around 7-8 times of current prices, and for calls at 6 paise per minute along with monthly charges from April 1 to enable it pay statutory dues and make its business sustainable.
Telecom firm Vodafone-Idea Thursday said that it is not a "sound financial state" and sought help from the government over the pending AGR dues. The troubled company has written to the telecom department expressing its inability to pay full AGR dues unless the government takes urgent measures.
Emerging from the meeting which lasted for over 30 minutes, Chandrasekaran declined to comment on the details of his discussion.
With the telecom firms staring at a massive Rs 1.47 lakh crore of AGR dues, SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar on Monday said "nobody wants to kill the sector". The state-owned bank is yet to hear from the government on the issue, he said, when asked if it has sought views from bankers.
Telecom companies' unpaid licence fees amount to Rs 22,589 crore, while interest and penalties took the total liability to Rs 92,641 crore, sources said.
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal on Thursday met Telecom Minister as AGR issue looms large on his company. After his meeting, Mittal described AGR crisis as "unprecedented" for Indian Telecom industry. Airtel has until March 17 to pay Rs 35,600 crore to the government as part of (Adjusted Gross Revenue) payment.
Telecom firm Vodafone Idea on Thursday paid Rs 1,000 crore to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) towards its statutory dues. This was in addition to the part-payments Vodafone-Idea had made previously.
The Telecom Department will issue fresh notices to top companies over non-payment of AGR dues, reports said on Thursday. A separate notice is likely to be sent to Tata Teleservices for non-payment of full dues.
Shares of Vodafone Idea on Tuesday settled over 11 per cent down in the wake of continuing business uncertainty overpayment of statutory dues.
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said he believes non-telecom PSUs are not covered by the Supreme Court order that asked telecom licence holders to pay statutory dues after including non-telecom revenues.
A number of telecom firms are in troubled waters with over a massive Rs 1.47 lakh crore of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to pay. These include top telcos -- Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea -- who owe about 60 percent.
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