New Delhi: The government is likely to fine telecom majors by as much as Rs 400 crore. Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices and Bharti Airtel may pay this penalty for delaying the commissioning of services after obtaining licences.
Reliance Communication tops the list with proposed Liquidated Damages of Rs147 crore, followed by Tata Teleservices with Rs126 crore. Telecom Commission is likely to take a decision on the matter very soon.
"None of the new Unified Access Service Licensees as well as those who migrated from basic services licences, submitted the required certificate within one year of the effective date of licence with 90 per cent coverage in street as well as in building," the Department of Telecom (DoT) was quoted by PTI.
The Telecom Commission had earlier estimated the damages at Rs 406 crore, which has now undergone a change due to lowering of penalty per circle, sources said. The total damages are now estimated at Rs400.15 crore for 58 circles.
RCoM (formerly known as Reliance Infocomm) has failed to submit the required certificate for 21 circles and may face imposition of liquidated damages of Rs147 crore, whereas Tata Teleservices has defaulted in 18 circles and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) in two circles.
Bharti Airtel, the largest private telecom company, may also have to pay Rs42 crore, sources said, adding the company has delayed in commissioning of services in six circles.
The combined penalty of Tata Teleservices and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd comes to Rs140 crore.
In the re-examination of Liquidated Damages, as required by Telecom Commission in January this year, the charges for Hutchison-Essar have reduced to Rs8.15 crore from earlier estimates of Rs14 crore for the West Bengal circle.
The proposed Liquidated Damages for other players have remained the same. Other players facing the penalty are Dishnet Wireless Ltd, HFCL Infotel and Shyam Telelink.
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