DoT examining if deadline for AGR payment applies to non-telecom PSUs

The telecom department is examining the legal applicability of January 23 deadline for payment of over Rs 2.4 trillion statutory dues in the case of non-telecom PSUs which were not originally party to AGR matter in the Supreme Court, according to sources.

Sources in the Department of Telecom (DoT) told PTI that while the PSUs too have been asked to make payments related to statutory liabilities (after the SC in October upheld government’s position on calculation of non-core revenue for AGR dues), the larger question is whether the January 23 deadline is legally enforceable on state-owned companies that were not direct party to the dispute.

The current view that is emerging in the DoT appears to be that the court-imposed timeline may not apply to PSUs, but the matter is being legally examined for clarity.