Government deposits Rs 92 crore to clear immediate bond interest dues of MTNL

The government has stepped in to make a Rs 92 crore payment towards bond dues of MTNL, a government source said, adding that another Rs 64 crore would also be paid in coming days towards interest obligations that are slated to become due in August. The helping hand from the government is significant as it averts a crisis-like situation for the telecom corporation which has been teetering on the brink with regard to its debt obligations, particularly in this case government-guaranteed bonds. Last week, the debt-laden firm had expressed its inability to make interest payments to certain bondholders due to paucity of funds.