Telecom operator Bharti Airtel may have to pay Rs 2,600 crore before March 31 and about Rs 3,650 crore to Vodafone Idea under the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) item. According to the Department of Telecommunications, these companies have to pay 10% of their outstanding AGR during this period.
Telecom companies were relieved on September 1 last year, when the Supreme Court granted them 10 years of deferment to repay the dues. But he had said that 10% of the amount should be paid by 31 March 2021. It is believed that the companies will not deposit 10% of the entire AGR dues, but only 10% of the dues before 31 March 2020. An official said that the Supreme Court knew how much the companies had paid before the verdict came. Now the companies will give only 10% of the amount left till the day of decision. The Department of Telecommunications has not given any written information to the companies. But Bharti Airtel and Vodafone claim that they have already paid more than 10% of the total AGR dues, so the first installment will have to be paid in March, 2022.
Airtel has told the Department of Telecommunications that it has already paid Rs 18,004 crore out of the total outstanding amount of Rs 43,980 crore, which is more than 10% of the total dues. Both companies approached the apex court, seeking an assessment of the AGR calculation. He said that DoT did not include the amount already recovered while seeking AGR. He also complained about double counting of some revenue items.
According to the Department of Telecommunications, Vodafone Idea owes AGR of Rs 58,254 crore, but the company says that only Rs 21,533 crore is owed. Similarly, the department has given a liability of Rs 44,000 crore to Airtel but the company has already given Rs 18,004 crore. In September, the Supreme Court allowed companies to repay their AGR dues in 10 years and also asked them to lump 10 per cent of the total dues. The payment deadline is to start from April 1, 2021 and the first installment is required to be paid before March 31, 2021.
