MUMBAI, Nov 24 (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court has askedVodafone Group Plc to pay 20 billion rupees ($302million) to the government in relation to the phone carrier'splans to merge four of its operating businesses ahead of a sharelisting.
Vodafone India Ltd, the country's second-biggest mobilephone carrier by customers and revenue, is contesting at atelecoms tribunal government charges of about $1.1 billion formerging the businesses.
The Indian Supreme Court on Monday asked Vodafone for the $302 million as an interim payment, according to a lawyer on thecase. The government will allow the merger process to proceed assoon as Vodafone deposits the money, the lawyer said.
Vodafone's final fee will depend the outcome of the case atthe telecoms tribunal, the lawyer said.
Vodafone declined to comment on the case.
Vodafone has started preparations for a potential initialpublic offering of the Indian business, it said earlier thismonth. ($1 = 66.3282 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy and Suchitra Mohanty. Editingby Paul Sandle and Jane Merriman)