New Delhi:
The Space Commission has recommended to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) that the controversial S-Band spectrum deal between ISRO's commercial arm Antrix and private firm Devas Multimedia be immediately annulled.
The Space Commission made this recommendation in a note to the CCS, saying priority is required to be given to the country's strategic requirements including societal ones. The CCS is chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Department of Space may take necessary steps and give instructions for scrapping the Antrix-Devas Agreement, according to the Commission's draft note.
According to sources in the know, K Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Department of Space, wrote a letter to D R Meena, secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice in this regard.
The annulment comes in the wake of a raging controversy over the deal for handing over 70 Mhz of S-Band spectrum to the private firm for Rs 1,000 crore on which the CAG has already initiated action.
According to reports, this deal could have resulted in a loss of Rs two lakh crore to the exchequer.
Following these reports, the Government and ISRO said that the project was already under review and action has been initiated for termination of the contract.