As per industry sources, Gail (India) Limited, Power Grid Corporation of India and Oil India Limited are planning to file petitions seeking a review of the Supreme Court’s order that necessitates them to pay over Rs 3 trillion in arrears on their telecom licences.
As per legal experts, even though none of the public sector undertakings (PSUs) took part in the legal battle fought between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and telecom operators, they can file review petitions on the ground that they have been affected by a wider interpretation of the ruling.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had ruled that all revenue, including from non-telecom services, of a telecom licensee has to be accounted for calculating the adjusted gross revenue (AGR). Consequently, companies with even minor telecom businesses, such as these PSU, may have to pay dues based on their entire revenue, with retrospective effect.
