Government may charge Rs 2764 crore for extension of cancelled 2G licences: sources

The government is likely to charge Rs 2764 crore as charges for licence extension from telecom companies whose permits were cancelled by the Supreme Court, sources told NDTV Profit.

"The due amount has been calculated considering...all the 122 licences have continuing their operation after 2.2.2012 up to 15.02.2013," sources told PTI.

The apex court, in its February 2 judgement last year, had cancelled 122 licences awarded in a scandal-tainted process in 2008. However, the court allowed telecom companies, whose licences were cancelled, to continue their operations till the time the government completed auctions.

The Supreme Court then asked these telecom companies in February this year to close their operations and directed the government to recover fees for the period.

As per government calculations, Etisalat DB, which lost 15 licences, needs to pay Rs 605 crore, sources said, while liabilities of Idea Cellular, which lost seven licences, amounts to Rs 162 crore. Dues from Uninor and Videocon, which lost 22 and 21 licences respectively, stood at Rs 513 crore and Rs 501 crore, sources added.

The government may ask Russian conglomerate Sistema's Indian telecom venture, SSTL, to pay around Rs 463 crore, wire agency PTI said citing sources. SSTL lost 21 licences.

Loop Telecom, S Tel, Spice Communications (acquired by Idea Cellular), Tata Teleservices need to pay Rs 389.48 crore, Rs 17.96 crore, Rs 108.9 crore and Rs 3.22 crore respectively, PTI sources added.

Most of these companies, except SSTL, have either closed or scaled down their operations before February 15, 2013.

With inputs from PTI