No plan for any telco package, Centre tells Parliament

Revised AGR demand notices to be sent after reassessment

Palakkad, Kerala, 24/02/2018: Technical staff engaged in maintenance work on a mobile tower at Palakkad on February 24, 2018. Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the apex industry association representing the country's major telecom, Internet, technology and digital services companies, on Friday (23/2/18) released a report stating that the total mobile subscribers base in January 2018 has grown to 988.49 million subscribers. The report, which also provides mobile subscriber numbers for individual circles, showed that the Uttar Pradesh (East) circle remained at the top with a total of 85.58 million subscribers, while Maharashtra remained at second position with a total of 81.56 million mobile subscribers. The number of telephone subscribers in India declined from 1,201.72 million at the end of October 2017 to 1,185.88 million at the end of November 2017, thereby showing a monthly decline rate of 1.32 per cent, as per a report released by January 2018 by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) The decline was mainly on account of closure of mobile services by some of the operators. On the other hand, Circle B states that included Kerala reported the highest of the number of mobile subscribers till October 2017, that is nearly one-third of the total number of mobile subscribers. Photo: K. K. Mustafah

The government is currently not considering any proposal for a relief package for the telecom industry that is reeling under severe financial stress, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Asked whether the government was considering working on a relief package for telecom service providers and if a committee of secretaries had been constituted for the same, Minister of State for Communications Sanjay Dhotre, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, said, “No such proposal is under consideration by the government.”

Replying to a separate question on the adjusted gross revenue-related dues, the Minister said the Telecom Department would issue revised demand notices to the telcos following a reassessment exercise on the basis of documents submitted by them in support of their self-assessed dues.

“The telecom service providers have been directed to make payments on the basis of self assessment and submit requisite documents for compliance. Following this, DoT will carry out reassessments on the basis of documents submitted by the telecom service providers in accordance with the licence agreement and issue revised demand notices,” the Minister said.

He added that the AGR case was sub-judice and in 2016 it was submitted in the Supreme Court that DoT would keep raising the demand but not insist on payments till the final judgment by the court.

“After the judgment dated 24.10.2019, the dues are crystalised and the TSPs have made some payments... The DoT has also directed the TSPs to make remaining payments vide letters dated 13.11.2019, 20.01.2020, 14.02.2020 and 04.03.2020,” he said.