SC stays BSNL's demand notice on ADC

In its clarification order, the Supreme Court on Monday in effect restrained government-controlled BSNL from taking action against private telecom operators including Tata Teleservices for not paying access deficit charges of more than Rs 90 crore. A bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat clarified that its earlier stay order of October 19, 2006, against the TDSAT order was on refund to BSNL. This would mean that the Association of Basic Telecom Operators and others, which had moved stay applications, would not have to pay access deficit charges in accordance with the demand notices of BSNL.