Tax dispute: Vodafone chairman meets FM

Vodafone India chairman Analjit Singh on Tuesday met Finance Minister P Chidambaram with a fresh proposal for early resolution to the tax dispute over which government has offered conciliation.

Vodafone is believed to offered to pay $650 million (Rs 3,900 crore) towards tax dues, as against the government's demand of $1.4 billion (Rs 8,400 crore), sources said.

Singh's meeting follows the British telecom firm seeking time to reply to Revenue Department's offer for a non-binding conciliation under the Indian laws.

While Vodafone had shown keenness to go in for arbitration under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) law, India has proposed conciliation under the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act.

Finance secretary R S Gujral too is believed to have met top Vodafone officials in Mumbai last month.

However, a top government functionary said it was in the interest of Vodafone to resolve the issue as the firm is saddled with the tax liability.

Vodafone's reply to the government on the issue was not satisfactory as they nitpicking on things like venue and rules for conciliation.

The functionary said it was for Vodafone to show greater alacrity and enthusiasm to resolve the tax dispute.