Tatas make additional payment of Rs 2,000 crore towards AGR dues: Report

Tata Teleservices on Tuesday paid an additional amount of about Rs 2,000 crore to the telecom department on ad hoc basis towards their AGR liabilities, PTI reported. The additional payment of over and above Rs 2,197 crore it has already submitted to the government, is aimed at covering any reconciliation differences. 

The government estimated Tata's dues at about Rs 14,000 crore. Earlier, Tata Teleservices had paid Rs 2,197 crore as its AGR dues to the DoT, saying it was the company’s full and final payment. 

Meanwhile, the DoT is set to write fresh letters to telecom companies questioning them about the variation in AGR dues assessed by firms themselves and its own calculations. The move assumes significance as the amounts paid by telcos so far, even those who have announced full and final settlement, is significantly less than DoT's AGR estimates.

Bharti Airtel recently submitted over Rs 18,000 crore to DoT declaring it has made full and final settlement towards its AGR liabilities but the amount is far less than over Rs 35,000 crore that DoT estimates the company owes it. 

The Supreme Court had on October 24, 2019, upheld the DoT definition of AGR.

The government has also asked all telecom companies to furnish names of their MDs and their addresses, PTI reported adding this had been a requirement of the court which wanted those details.  On Saturday, telecom operator Bharti Airtel said it has made payment of Rs 8,004 crore towards adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to the government, an amount over and above Rs 10,000 crore it has already paid.

The Supreme Court had on October 24, 2019, upheld the DoT definition of AGR, asking the telecom industry to pay up pending licence fee and spectrum charge dues along with penalties and interest within three months.

Subsequently, the court had dismissed a review petition by the telcos. When Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea filed a modification plea for extending the duration of payments, the court asked them to clear their dues before the next date of hearing, scheduled for March 17.