The Department of Telecommunications? (DoT) access services wing has recommended that the six overlapping mobile permits held by Idea Cellular be cancelled.
Idea Cellular holds overlapping mobile permits in six circles after its acquisition of Spice Communication in October 2008.
The access services wing has said the permits should be cancelled on the grounds that no responses have been received from Idea Cellular even after the expiry of 60 days after the showcause notices were issued to the company for cancellation.
Prior to this, DoT had imposed a Rs 2.50 billion penalty on Idea Cellular for holding overlapping mobile permits.
However, in July 2011, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), in its interim order, asked DoT not to impose the penalty on Idea Cellular.
Also, in July, the Delhi High Court had stated that Spice Communications? six mobile permits would not be transferred to Idea Cellular because the latter did not comply with licence norms and merger guidelines, while also imposing a penalty on the company for withholding information.
The court was responding to DoT?s petition to stall and recall the merger of the two companies completed nearly three years ago.
