Vodafone Idea moves SC seeking Rs 30k crore AGR dues waiver
New Delhi, May 15 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a fresh plea of Vodafone Idea seeking waiver of around Rs 30,000 crore adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih was urged by senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the telecom firm, that the plea needed an urgent hearing.
The telecom company has sought a waiver of around Rs 30,000 crore towards interest, penalty, and interest on penalty components of its AGR dues.
Rohatgi said the survival of the petitioner firm was crucial for maintaining competition in the telecom sector.
Now the Centre holds a 49 per cent stake in the company following a recent equity conversion of interest dues, he added.
The bench is likely to hear the plea on November 19.
The top court had previously refused to review its 2021 order rejecting the pleas of telecom majors including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for rectification of alleged errors in calculation of AGR dues payable by them.
A bench comprising former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Abhay S Oka and Sanjay Kumar dismissed the pleas seeking review of the 2021 order in-chambers on January 28.
On July 23, 2021, the apex court dismissed their applications seeking rectification of the alleged errors in calculation of AGR dues.
The telecom companies argued that arithmetical errors in the calculation be rectified and there were cases of duplication of entries.
The top court in September 2020 fixed a time frame of 10 years for telecom service providers struggling to pay Rs 93,520 crore of AGR related dues to clear their outstanding amount to the government.
In its September 2020 order, the apex court said that telecom operators should make the payment of 10 percent of the total dues as demanded by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) by March 31, 2021 and the rest amount would be paid in yearly instalments commencing from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2031.
The top court, which held the demand raised by the DoT with respect to AGR dues as final, said there should neither be a dispute raised by the telecom companies nor any re-assessment.
The apex court in October 2019 delivered its verdict on the AGR issue.
The DoT moved a plea in the top court asking for a staggered payment of the dues by telcos over 20 years.
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Karnataka: Three held for murder of Tibetan man in Dharwad district
Dharwad (Karnataka) (PTI): Three people were arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of a Tibetan man in this district, police said on Monday.
Tashi Dhondup (39), a Buddhist monk and resident of Mundagod, was found dead near Haliyal Bridge on the Dharwad bypass on April 29, they said.
Police said the body bore injury marks on the face, indicating foul play.
Upon receiving information about an unidentified body within the limits of Dharwad Rural Police Station, a highway patrol team and emergency services rushed to the spot and alerted senior officials.
Following inspection and identification of the deceased, a case of murder was registered the same day based on visible injuries and findings from the scene of crime team, a senior police officer said.
Superintendent of Police Gunjan Arya said the motive appears to be “murder for gain”. The accused allegedly demanded money from the victim and assaulted him when he failed to comply, leading to his death.
Three accused, all from Kolhapur district in neighbouring Maharashtra, have been arrested, while efforts are on to nab two others involved in the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
