Telecom firms get breather in AGR case, SC allows them 10 years to clear dues

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed telecom companies to stagger their payments of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) related dues over the next 10 years. The court ruled that telecom firms like Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices would need to pay 10 per cent of their AGR-related dues by March 31, 2021.

The court also said that the Managing Director (MDs) or Chief Executive Officer (CEOs) of these telecom firms would require to submit an undertaking to pay AGR dues as per the Supreme Court’s order.

The three-judge bench comprising of Justices Arun Mishra, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah said that the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT’s) demand and its verdict on AGR-related dues are final.