PIL in SC for recovery of dues from telecom companies

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions for the Telecom department to take steps to recover adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues from telecom companies.

The plea filed by an NGO Save Consumer Rights Foundation sought quashing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) direction of January 23 which had put on hold coercive action against telcos.

The plea said the Government of India is duty-bound to recover the due amount from the TSPs within the stipulated time period of three months from October 24, 2019, as directed by the Apex court and in public interest.

"The telecom service providers cannot wriggle out of their obligation to pay the dues as directed by this court. The non- payment of dues by them was their commercial decision and the government cannot be deprived of the legitimate and legal dues from them, which is public money to be utilised for the welfare of the people of the country," read the petition.

It said that the January 23 order of the Department of Telecommunication amounts to obstruction in the administration of justice and an attempt to tamper with the orders of this Court and amounts to wilful disobedience of this Court's orders especially after review petitions by service providers have also been dismissed.