Question : TAX DUES AGAINST TELECOM COMPANY

(a) the details of tax liability quantified by the Income Tax Department on each telecom company for acquiring majority stakes in other telecom company during the last three years;

(b) whether any notice has been issued to such companies in this reigard and other cases of financial irregularities;

(c) if so, the details thereof alongwith response received thereto during the same period company-wise;

(d) the details or recover)` made from each such companies during the same period: and

(e) the measures taken or proposed to be taken in this direction in future?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI. S.S. PALANIMANICKAM)

(a) The income Tax Department does not separately quantify tax liability on a company on acquiring majority stake in any other company, because such action is a part of scrutiny assessment procedure in the case of the company concerned for quantification of the taxable income. Thus, there is no centralized data regarding tax liability quantified on telecom companies for acquiring majority stakes in other telecom company.

(b) & (c) No separate database is maintained regarding issue of .notices to the assessees and therefore, the information can only be collected by examining the cases of each such company for various years.

(d) The details of recovery made from companies into a particular sector are also not centrally maintained.However, the details of recovery out of outstanding demand of some of the well known cases (which had outstanding demand above Rs. 10 crore as on 31.03.2009) as available with the department is given below:-

(Rs. In Lakhs)

SI.	Name	Cash collection during
No.	F.Y. 2009-10

1	Vodafone Bssar Ltd	300

2	Vodafone Essar Gujarat	15211	Ltd (Previously Fascel Ltd)

3	Bharat SancharNigam Ltd	137893

4	Bharti Airtel Ltd	686