Airtel to pay Rs 10,000 cr. as part of AGR dues by Feb 20

TIL Desk/Business/New Delhi/  Bharti Airtel has informed the Department of Telecom (DoT) that it is currently in the process of completing a self-assessment exercise as per the earlier DoT direction on AGR quantum to be paid to the government and would deposit Rs 10,000 crore by February 20 as part of the payment.

Airtel further said that self-assessment of 22 circles and licences is a complicated time consuming process. “Nevertheless, in compliace with the judgement of the Supreme Court on Friday, we shall deposit a sum of Rs 10,000 crore by February 20 on behalf of Bharti group of companies — Bharti Airtel, Bharti Hexacom and Telenor India.

“We are confident that we will complete the self-assessment exercise shortly and make the balance payment before the next date of hearing fixed by the SC,” Airtel said in a letter to DoT. The next hearing is on March 17. The DoT on Friday directed all teleco licnecees to make immediate payment in compliance with the Supreme Court order of October 24 last year.

As directed by the court, the DoT on Friday withdrew its earlier directions granting protection to telcos from coercive action against defaulting telecos after the Supreme Court on the same day took a strong view of non-compliance of its order on payment of statutory dues by telcos.