Telecom lobby meets Sitharaman, seeks help in meeting SC-ordered dues

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

India’s telecom companies on Friday asked the government to reduce licence fee and spectrum usage charges, seeking help again after the Supreme Court asked them to pay Rs 92,642 crore as adjusted gross revenue (AGR).

The industry also asked the government to create an infrastructure bank that will raise tax-free bonds, the proceeds of which can be used to lend to the companies at lower rates, said Rajan Mathews, Director General of Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) after a pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The first thing that we highlighted was the matter of AGR, the high