DoT: Airtel to Pay Rs 650 Crore Penalty Against License Violation

Leading telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel may have to pay the penalty imposed by Government for violating license norms. The committee in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has come up with a penalty amount of Rs. 650 crore each for violating National and International Long Distance license conditions.

The reports say that Bharti Airtel has been found to be violating license conditions across 13 circles, with the violations registered between 2000 and 2005. However, the company categorically denied any such violation. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) committee has sought the advice of Kapil Sibal, Telecom Minister regarding the issue. The committee also states that violation of norms by the telecom company had resulted in a serious loss to the exchequer and BSNL, as well.

The company was also issued penalty amounting to Rs. 50 crore last year for alleged camouflaging of CLI- Calling Line Identification in the MP circle. The company contended that it was not presented with an opportunity to present its case. Airtel had set up call centers in Indore to get more customers and make promotional calls to non-Airtel numbers when mobile number portability was introduced. The case shows that the calls were generated to its own number instead of Party B. The allegations, however, was shrugged off by Airtel saying that it was an error by the call center.

Airtel, inspite of all these arguments and denials could not escape the penalty imposed by the Department of Telecommunication. The company is facing a hard time with fines imposed on it frequently.