The Supreme Court has ruled that telcos need to pay the licence and usage fee dues to government immediately. The top court has ruled for a broader interpretation of adjusted gross revenue which has increased the dues for telcos as penalties and interest got added. Both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone-Idea owe the government Rs 34600 crore and Rs 44000 crore respectively. Banks fear that given these large payouts, the companies may find it difficult to repay their loans. Also, there is concern that the government may invoke bank guarantees to collect its dues from the companies.
