₹90,000-crore relief package for telcos awaits Cabinet secy's call

The Cabinet Secretary is expected to take a final call on a proposal for providing around ₹90,000-crore relief package to telecom operators like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, by waiving off a significant portion of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues.

- JATIN GROVER

Earlier, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had proposed to the finance ministry to waive 50% interest and 100% penalties and interest on penalties, on the AGR dues.

In October 2019, the Supreme Court had backed the government's view and levied AGR dues on telcos of ₹1.47 lakh crore. This comprised ₹92,642 crore of licence fees and spectrum usage charge of ₹55,054 crore. Around 75% of the dues comprised interest, penalties, and interest on penalties. So far, the telcos have paid around ₹37,000 crore.