Government approves Rs 650-crore penalty on Bharti Airtel: Official

NEW DELHI: Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal is learnt to have approved levying of Rs 650 crore penalty on Bharti Airtel for violating roaming norms in 13 service areas between 2003 and 2005.

"The Minister has approved penalty of Rs 650 crore on SLD (subscriber local dialing) matter," a Telecom Ministry official told reporters.

An internal committee of Department of Telecom had alleged that Bharti Airtel had continued to route national and international calls as local calls (SLD) under a scheme till 2005 despite being told to stop it in 2003.

This caused loss to the government exchequer and state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), it said.

The official said "demand notice will be issued this week".

Meanwhile, the company did not respond to emails sent for comments on the development.