AGR case: Supreme Court docket fears monetary effort lawsuits might maybe maybe eat dues
Justice Mishra observed beneath the IBC spectrum trading became once assorted from spectrum sale
Subject matters
Adjusted outrageous income | Supreme Court docket | Insolvency and Chapter Code
The Supreme Court docket on Thursday expressed arena over adjusted outrageous income (AGR) dues melting away in monetary effort lawsuits.
“We are skittish that almost the total AGR dues will likely be extinguished in the IBC (Insolvency and Chapter Code) lawsuits. After sale (of spectrum), recent users will extinguish pending (demands for dues),” Justice Arun Mishra talked about. He talked about in case the dues weren’t paid, the spectrum has to be surrendered.
Justice Mishra observed beneath the IBC spectrum trading became once assorted from spectrum sale.
“Without paying for the horse, telcos are taking a plod. We want to hold from the Division of Telecommunications (DoT) all shrimp print of spectrum allocated since 1999 to RCom (Reliance Communications) and Aircel and the shrimp print of spectrum sharing,” he talked about.
A Bench comprising judges Arun Mishra, S Abdul Nazeer, and M R Shah heard the matter. Senior Counsel Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the Videocon Telecom resolution skilled, told the court docket its AGR dues contain been valued at Rs 1,512 crore (by the DoT). As of now, the industrial is nil and the resolution course of is on.
ALSO READ: Trai seeks answers to expand broadband connectivity, ramp up speeds
The Union authorities has filed an charm with the Nationwide Firm Legislation Tribunal that the resolution plans of Reliance Communications and Aircel might maybe maybe accrued not be accredited till the spectrum-connected dues are cleared.
Counsel for bankrupt firm Aircel talked about the firm had filed an affidavit, which acknowledged that since 2016, there had been eight spectrum-trading agreements between Aircel and Airtel and all had the approval of the DoT.
Hearing on here is on since final week and several rounds of arguments contain taken arena. Then but again, the apex court docket is but to provide its verdict on allowing the telecom companies to plot staggered payments of AGR dues.
On August 19, the court docket talked about the telecom companies had easiest the lawful to utilize the spectrum, which became once not an asset that belonged to them since the companies did not contain it. The court docket has talked about spectrum dues can’t be treated as operational dues because airwaves are the root of operations. Reliance Jio has talked about it has paid the AGR dues, collectively with these derived from the income earned by the utilization of the spectrum shared with RCom. It has paid 0.5 per cent extra spectrum utilization charges for sharing the spectrum, in accordance to the DoT’s guidelines. On August 14, the Supreme Court docket sought shrimp print of the telecom operators the utilization of the airwaves disbursed to the bankrupt companies, collectively with Aircel and RCom.
It directed the Union authorities and the resolution mavens of Reliance Jio and RCom to originate paperwork to examine the AGR liabilities of RCom.