New Delhi: Vodafone Idea has moved the Supreme Court, asking for relief from additional adjusted gross revenue (AGR) demands raised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for periods up to FY 2016–17.
The company has requested that the court cancel the extra AGR dues, saying these relate to years already settled under the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment. It has also asked the DoT to carry out a full reassessment and reconciliation of all dues in line with the Deduction Verification Guidelines issued on February 3, 2020.
Vodafone Idea argues that the DoT’s action is “unjust and arbitrary” because new demands are being raised even though the Supreme Court has already finalised AGR liabilities. The company claims errors in calculation have led to duplication, with some amounts being added more than once.
In its October 2019 ruling, the Supreme Court directed telecom operators to pay AGR dues. In September 2020, it allowed them 10 years to clear pending dues, with 10 per cent to be paid annually. The first instalment was due on March 31, 2021. However, in July 2021 the top court rejected pleas from companies including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to correct errors in the calculation of their dues.