Govt. assures justice for scientists in Antrix-Devas spectrum deal

New Delhi, Mar 1 (ANI): Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), V. Narayanasamy, on Thursday assured that the government would give justice to scientists involved in the controversial Antrix-Devas spectrum deal.

Narayanswamy said he received former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief G. Madhavan Nair's letter two days back, and added that the government is addressing the issue.

"The first committee, the entire report has been put on the website, department of space website, as far as the second report is concerned Pratyush Sinha report is concerned, the conclusion part has been put on the website, the document which are to be given in the public domain that have been done by the government," said Narayanswamy.

"Therefore, as far as Madhavan Nair is concerned, he has also written a letter to me, which I received only two days back about the issue of the Antrix-Devas deal and that raw deal has been given to him, as far as that issue is concerned the government is addressing the issue and the government will definitely do justice," he added.

Madhavan Nair had earlier last month written a second letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) asking for a 'comprehensive' review of the controversial Antrix-Devas spectrum allocation.

Nair had in his letter has requested the PMO for a comprehensive review not only starting from the Devas agreement, but the technical advantages which the country would have gained.

"The letter, which he has written, he said that the issue has to be, another probe should be made but it is in the domain of the government," said Narayanswamy.

The Devas deal signed by ISRO's commercial arm Antrix to lease out 90 per cent of transponders in the S-band frequency on two ISRO satellites was annulled by the government in February 2011.

A two-member committee consisting of former cabinet secretary B N Chaturvedi and Space Commission member Roddam Narasimha analysed the deal and found procedural lapses by ISRO officials in the signing of the agreement and sought reforms to prevent future lapses.

A second committee headed by former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha, set up after the Chaturvedi report to fix responsibility for the lapses, said that there was suspicion of collusion of officials and lack of transparency in the deal and recommended action against former ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair, and three other retired space scientists A Bhaskaranarayana, K R Sridhara Murthi and K N Shankara. (ANI)