The government has decided to refund the licence fee of companies whose telecom licences stand cancelled but with no criminal charges against them. The Empowered Group of Ministers, headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram also decided to recommend to the Cabinet a one-time fee on existing telecom operators for spectrum they hold beyond 4.4 Mega Hertz. Operators wishing not to pay the additional fee will be allowed to relinquish the excess spectrum beyond 4.4 Mega Hertz. Companies willing to retain excess spectrum will have the option of making staggered payments in yearly instalments. The government is likely to get about 27 thousand crore rupees from the one-time fee. In February this year, the Supreme Court had cancelled 122 licences granted during the former Telecom Minister A Raja's regime.