No Rs 135cr refund for Bharti: TDSAT

TDSAT today dismissed the Rs 135 crore refund petition of Bharti.

The telecom major had moved the telecom appellate tribunal for refund of the licence fees paid by it for entry into basic services prior to the new uniform licencing regime introduced by the government.

Bharti had moved TDSAT last month after its plea was rejected by the department of telecom (DoT) saying the entry fee was non-refundable.

Asked whether the company would challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court, a Bharti spokesperson said: "We are studying the judgement. We will decide the future course of action after consulting legal experts."

Bharti, while moving TDSAT, had said that  "our basic telecom licences have become redundant because of regulatory changes,  and therefore we are seeking refund of the entry fee paid by the company."

DoT, on the other hand, had said that since "the government has already taken a decision that since the entry fee was non-refundable, there is no case for any refund of it as well as any compensation for change of policy, which is a prerogative of the government."