SC may hear AGR case on Thursday, says cause list

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is likely to hear the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) case on Thursday, which may include the government’s application that telcos be allowed to spread the payment of their dues over 20 years or less.

A three-judge bench led by Justice Arun Mishra, and comprising Justices S. Abdul Nazeer and M.R. Shah is expected to hear the matter, the Supreme Court cause-list showed Wednesday. The cause list though put the AGR listing as tentative. At its previous hearing on March 17, the apex court had said the matter would be taken up in two weeks, but the matter hasn’t been heard since as the country entered into a lockdown to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

The previous hearing was on March 17, when the apex court had scrapped the self-assessment of AGR dues by telcos. But in a relief to the likes of Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices, it had agreed to consider the government’s plea to allow carriers to stagger the payment of dues over a maximum 20 years.