Telecom Ministry to decide on AGR dues: Finance Minister

Bengaluru, Feb 17 (IANS) Passing the buck, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the Telecom Ministry would decide on the payment of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) arrears by the defaulting telcos as directed by the Supreme Court recently.

"The Telecom Ministry has been engaging with the telcos soon after the Supreme Court's ruling on February 14. I will wait to hear the Ministry's decision," Sitharaman told reporters here.

Justice Arun Mishra-led bench ordered Airtel and Vodafone Idea to pay the AGR dues immediately to avoid contempt of court on Friday.

On the same day, the telecom department withdrew its letter that said no coercive action should be taken against them for not paying the dues in time.

"The Telecom Ministry has been in touch with Airtel and Vodafone Idea since the apex court order. It will only be proper for me to hear from the Ministry on the verdict, added Sitharaman.

Sitharaman was on a day's visit to the tech city to explain the fiscal 2020-21 Union Budget to the representatives of industry and trade, including startups entrepreneurs.