Yesterday, DOT has asked all the telecom companies who have got extra spectrum allotted earlier to pay a one-time fee for the same. According to this order Bharti Airtel will have to pay Rs. 4,281 crore, Vodafone 2,969 crore, Idea 2,115 crore, Aircel 483 crore, Reliance 285 crore and BSNL/MTNL Rs9,983 crore coming to a total of Rs. 20,115 crore.

We welcome this decision, since the spectrum should not be given free to private companies who are interested in only making profits. But at the same time, BSNL and MTNL should be exempted from paying this one-time charge considering their weak financial position as also the fact that they are government companies implementing the social committment of the government to spread connectivity through out India, including the rural areas and lakhs of villages, which are loss making to the PSUs. We demand the government to issue necessary directions for exempting BSNL and MTNL from this payment.