The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to adjust the excess Rs 7.55 billion collected from Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) as part of its earlier merger-related liabilities, against its statutory licence fee and spectrum usage charge (SUC) dues, offering relief to the telco.
As per the TDSAT order, the initial Rs 39.26 billion demand, back in July 2018, had been linked to spectrum holdings (of the merging entities) below 4.4 MHz, against the differential between the entry fee paid and market-determined price.
Earlier in 2019, Vi had moved the TDSAT, challenging DoT’s Rs 39.26 billion demand towards spectrum liabilities linked to the merger of erstwhile Vodafone entities; Vodafone Mobile Services and Vodafone India with Idea Cellular five years ago. The government had subsequently recalculated Vi’s dues, and revised it downwards to Rs 31.70 billion.
However, as Vi had already deposited the Rs 39.26 billion demanded by the government, the TDSAT has directed the latter to adjust the excess sum collected with Vi’s current statutory dues.
