6 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Monday clarified that the Union authorities tin comprehensively measure and reconcile each Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues of Vodafone-Idea up to the fiscal twelvemonth 2016-17 successful accordance with the Deduction Verification Guidelines of February 3, 2020.
The clarification from a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai came successful an oral mentioning made by Vodafone-Idea (VI), represented by elder advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Mahesh Agarwal, station lunch.
The institution pointed retired that though a composite plea was made to reassess “all” the AGR, the sixth paragraph of the court’s October 27 bid inadvertently said the telecom large was asking lone for a reconciliation of the “additional” AGR request made by the Department of Telecom (DoT) for the play up to the fiscal 2016-17.
“It was lone a elemental correction. We had sought a composite supplication to reassess and reconcile each the AGR dues,” Mr. Agarwal confirmed to The Hindu successful a telephonic telephone connected Monday.
On October 27, the apex tribunal near it to the Centre to reconsider its request for AGR dues from the institution and instrumentality an due determination successful accordance with the law.
Appearing for the Centre connected that day, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had flagged a “huge alteration successful circumstances” successful the clip betwixt erstwhile AGR litigation successful the apical tribunal involving VI and the contiguous 1 arsenic a crushed for the government’s softened stand. Mr. Mehta had submitted that the authorities has infused a “substantial equity” to the tune of 49% successful the company.
“Thus the government’s interest, which is the public’s ain interest, is interlinked with the institution now,” the apical instrumentality serviceman had submitted.
He had further briefed the tribunal that the institution had 20 crore consumers, and immoderate determination connected the institution would impact the customers too.
The tribunal had said the contented was good wrong the “policy domain” arsenic the authorities had sizeable equity progressive and the contented acrophobic 20 crore customers of the company.
VI had approached the apex tribunal seeking alleviation against the further AGR request arsenic good arsenic for a broad reassessment of each the AGR dues of the company.
The caller litigation had travel lone months aft the apex tribunal had rejected earlier petitions by Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (VI) and Tata Teleservices seeking alleviation successful the outgo of their involvement connected the dues, punishment and involvement connected the punishment towards their respective AGR liabilities connected the crushed that they were nether terrible fiscal constraints. The apex tribunal had, successful its bid successful May, concluded their pleas to beryllium “misconceived”.
Exactly a twelvemonth ago, connected September 19, the apex tribunal had dismissed a curative petition filed by telcos, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, against the court’s October 2019 judgement upholding the DoT’s determination to retrieve AGR of astir ₹92,000 crore from them.
