Bharti Airtel has paid Rs 10,000 crore towards its Adjusted Gross Revenue dues on Monday, the company said in a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The telco told the DoT that it had paid Rs 9,500 crore on behalf of Bharti Airtel and Rs 500 crore on behalf of Bharti Hexacomm Limited.
“In compliance with the Supplementary Order dated 24th October 2019 and the order dated 14th February 2020, of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, we have duly paid an amount of Rs 9500 Crores (Rupees Nine Thousand Five Hundred Crores) on behalf of Bharti Airtel Limited (including in respect of Telenor India which has merged with Bharti Airtel Limited) and an amount of Rs 500 Crores (Rupees Five Hundred Crores) on behalf of Bharti Hexacom Limited. The said amount of Rs 10,000 Crores (Rupees Ten Thousand Crores) has been paid on behalf of Bharti Airtel Limited, Bharti Hexacom Limited and Telenor,” the telco told the DoT in a letter, according to CNBCTV18.
The company said it will pay the balance amount after a self-assessment exercise
“We are in the process of completing the self assessment exercise expeditiously and will duly make the balance payment upon completion of the same, before the next date of hearing in the SC,” Bharti Airtel further said, according to PTI.
The company said it will also submit supporting details at the time of making balance payment.
The telecom department on February 14 began issued orders asking firms such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to clear past dues immediately.
The DoT, which faced the ire of the Supreme Court for putting on hold recovery of dues from telecom companies, had started issuing circle or zone-wise demand notices to the firms.
Airtel had previously responded to DoT order by offering to pay Rs 10,000 crore by February 20 and the remaining before March 17. According to the government’s calculation, Airtel owes nearly Rs 35,586 crore, including licence fee and spectrum usage charge, to the government.
With inputs from PTI