AGR woes: No decision on relief to telcos at DCC meet

The crucial meeting of Digital Communications Commission (DCC) on Friday (February 28) could not arrive at a decision on relief to the distressed telecom sector and more details are required for reconciliation of AGR data, sources said.

The DCC meeting lasted two hours and is expected to meet again in coming days, the sources said. The telecom department officials continue to maintain that the meeting did not focus on AGR issues but on project implementation for PPP on Bharat Net project.

“It is learnt that no decision on telecom relief could be taken at the meeting. The telecom department is awaiting more details required for reconciliation of AGR data,” sources added.

DCC, the highest decision-making body of the government on telecom, met on Friday to discuss relief measures for telecom companies hit by the Supreme Court ruling on AGR. DCC members include secretaries of Ministries of Finance, Commerce, and Electronics and IT, as well as CEO of NITI Aayog, besides top officials of the telecom department.

In fact, just days ahead of this meeting, Vodafone Idea told the government that it would not be able to pay the Supreme Court mandated ₹53,000 crore dues unless state support is extended to survive the crisis.