Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea will not pay AGR dues of Rs 88,624 crore on Thursday, the deadline for making the payment.
Airtel and Vodafone Idea have communicated to the telecom department (DoT) officials that they will not pay AGR dues, and will wait for the outcome of modification petition listed for hearing before the Supreme Court next week, PTI reported.

The Supreme Court has earlier set January 23 as the deadline to pay adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. Both companies have requested the Department of Telecom (DoT) to give them time to make payment based on the outcome of their modification petition listed for hearing before the Supreme Court next week.

Reliance Jio, India’s #1 4G service provider, is likely to make payment of Rs 177 crore towards AGR liability.

Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and other telecom companies owe the government Rs 1.47 lakh crore in past statutory dues.

Tata Communications, in which the government holds 26.12 perstake, has also made no provision for DoT’s demand of Rs 6,633 crore for AGR dues. The company said it has replied to the demand cum notice sent by the DoT in September quarter 2019 but has not received any response from the department.

Telecom operators owe India government Rs 92,642 crore in unpaid licence fee, and another Rs 55,054 crore in outstanding spectrum usage charges.

The government has directed the mobile operator licensees to make payments in accordance with the order of the Supreme Court dated October 24, 2019, and submit requisite documents within the stipulated time frame.

Airtel has to pay nearly Rs 35,586 crore — Rs 21,682 crore for licence fee and Rs 13,904 crore for SUC dues.

Vodafone Idea has to pay Rs 53,038 crore — Rs 24,729 crore for SUC dues and Rs 28,309 crore for licence fee.