New Delhi:
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has denied reports that a private company has been allotted a whopping 60 MHz of spectrum on lease for barely Rs 600 crore through a deal with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which reports directly to the Prime Minister.
However, sources have told NDTV that the then ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan did write to the PM's Principal Secretary TKA Nair on December 2, 2010 on the Devas deal, reminding the PMO of the Law Secretary's objections to the deal.
In a press conference today, ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan said the Antrix-Devas deal was recommended to be annulled in 2010.
"We are going through the process which we expect to be completed soon.We have not either given either the spectrum or satellite transponders to M/s Devas or Antrix Corporation so far. The review of the agreement by the Department of Space was on since 2009," said Radhakrishnan.
"When we have to terminate a contract, it is a complex process, that is what we are going through, so that government does not incur damage or financial loss," Radhakrishnan added.
The Opposition targeted the PM yesterday over a report in The Hindu newspaper that stated that Devas Multimedia signed a contract in 2005 with Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO. The Hindu said that a study by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) estimated the losses to the government at Rs 2 lakh crore (CAG issued a statement last evening clarifying that it had not reached any conclusion on the terms of the deal).
Devas aims at delivering satellite broadband services through platforms including mobile phones.
Today's statement from the PM's office says, "This office has seen reports alleging loss of Government revenue in a contract entered into by ANTRIX and Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. due to lease of space segment capacity which would use S-Band Spectrum. The Comptroller and Auditor General's office and the Department of Space have already issued statements stating the factual position on the matter. It is further clarified that no decision has been taken by the Government to allocate space segment using S-Band Spectrum to ANTRIX or Devas. Hence, the question of revenue loss does not arise and any such reports are without basis in fact."
The BJP, which has targeted the Prime Minister on the new spectrum controversy, says the clarification is meaningless and wants the PM to answer. "We have said that the PM is leading a regime that is the most corrupt after Independence, he is directly responsible. He cannot escape answering our questions," said party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The Hindu report had alleged, "Under the deal, Devas Multimedia is to get access to 70 MHz of broadband spectrum in the 2500 MHZ band. This was once used by Doordarshan to deliver programmes by satellite to all parts of the country but is now considered to be of enormous commercial value for high-speed, terrestrial mobile communications."