Telecom department gets Rs 5,000 crore as AGR dues
Telecom department got Rs 5,000 crore as AGR dues. Telecom companies paid on time for the January-March quarter. Vodafone Idea, struggling with cash shortage, delayed the first payment.
The government has received Rs 5,000 crore from telecom companies. These companies have paid this amount as the license fees and spectrum usage charges for the January-March quarter.
Telecom Department has received Rs 5,000 crore from Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea as AGR due. These companies have paid this amount as the license fees and spectrum usage charges for the January-March quarter.
An industry executive with knowledge of the matter said that these three companies have paid their dues on time, which is a good sign. The dues of the January-March quarter were to be paid by 25 March. If a little bit is left, it will also be paid by the end of March as it is going to end the financial year.
Vodafone Idea, which has been facing cash shortage, had delayed payment in the previous quarters, but this time the company has paid on time. Each circle has paid according to its revenue and the Department of Telecommunications has not yet added the final amount. But this amount is equal to the payment made by the telecom companies in the previous quarter.
Airtel paid around Rs 1600 crore, Jio paid Rs 2000 crore and Vodafone India paid Rs 1000 crore, in the last quarter which ended on December 31. The three companies did not answer ET's questions about this. Telecom companies pay 8 percent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as license fee and 3 to 5 percent of spectrum usage charge. Airtel and Vodafone have to pay Rs 26,000 crore and Rs 50,400 crore respectively as AGR. Both companies have filed a petition in the Supreme Court in this case. He argues that the calculation of the Department of Telecommunications is not good.
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.