COAI urges govt panel to prioritise AGR issue, suggest relief measures within 60 days

Industry body COAI on Tuesday urged the newly constituted panel of secretaries to prescribe immediate relief measures to address the AGR issue first, given the “urgency of situation”. Welcoming the formation of the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) under the Cabinet Secretary, Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) Director General Rajan Mathews told that “given the urgency of the situation for the industry, we would request that the decision-making be bifurcated”.

The immediate focus should be on suggesting a relief package to address the AGR issue, since the stipulated payment timeline is a mere three months, Mathews said.