Vodafone Idea AGR dues hearing deferred to October 6 after Government seeks more time, as per a report by CNBC-TV18. The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the deb-ridden telecom company’s plea against the Central government’s Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) demand today.
Vodafone Idea filed fresh plea on Sept 8
Telecom major Vodafone Idea filed a fresh plea in the Supreme Court on September 8, seeking quashing of additional AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) demands raised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for FY 2016-17. The company urged the court to direct DoT to “comprehensively re-assess and reconcile all AGR dues for the period up to FY 2016-17 following the ‘Deduction Verification Guidelines’ dated February 3, 2020.
The Centre is the largest shareholder in Vodafone Idea, holding a 49 per cent stake. However, it is not classified as a promoter.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court refused to review its 2021 order that had dismissed pleas by telecom majors, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, to correct alleged errors in AGR calculations. The companies had argued that the calculations contained arithmetical mistakes and duplication of entries.
The apex court, however, rejected their plea, reiterating that the dues had already been settled by its 2019 judgment. According to PTI, VIL had said that the DoT’s fresh demand of Rs 5,606 crore for FY17 cannot be reopened as the matter had been “crystallised” by the 2019 verdict.