Trouble seems to be brewing once again for Tulip Telecom. This time, Tenon Property Services, a facility management services firm, has served legal notices asking the enterprise data services provider to clear its dues.
The notices, copies of which were seen by Business Line , also stated that Tenon “would be constrained to initiate winding up petition”, in case Tulip fails to pay the amount within the deadline.
“The claim is disputed,” a Tulip spokesperson said in an e-mail reply to
Tenon is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mortice, a company listed on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange.
When contacted, Tenon’s Chief Strategy Officer, Atul Mehrotra, said: “We will go to court against Tulip Telecom. They owe us over Rs 1 crore for facility management services that we have been providing to them and, despite repeated requests, they have not responded.”
In two notices, Tenon has accused Tulip of non-payment of Rs 45 lakh and about Rs 55 lakh.
While one notice is addressed to Tulip Telecom and its directors, the second is addressed to Tulip Data Centre Services and its directors.
The outstanding payments are as of August 31, 2013, and are liable to be paid with an 18 per cent interest. The notices, both dated September 16, 2013, offer 21 days’ time to pay the amount.
“The said amount is for offering facility services across Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata among other places,” the notice said, adding payments unpaid are earned wages of staff deployed on Tulip’s premises.
The services provided included housekeeping, front-office management, generator maintenance and security.
cheques dishonoured
“On occasions, the cheques tendered by you returned dishonored on presentation for encashment by the bankers of our client.
“However, no legal action was initiated against you by the addressees as you tendered apologies and further promised to release the outstanding payments shortly,” one of the notices said.
Tulip, which was expected to be a $1-billion company by 2014 two years ago, is facing various troubles. A section of the staff said it has not been paid salaries for a year. The company recently signed a Rs 3,000-crore corporate debt restructuring deal.