New Scam..
The Comptroller and Auditor General suspects a scandal bigger than 2G in the allocation of S-band spectrum.
The loss purportedly runs into Rs 2 lakh crore, while the 2G spectrum scandal, which cost A Raja his job as telecom minister, is believed to have cost the nation a little less, at Rs 1.7 lakh crore.
The Department of Space and ISRO are under the scanner because the CAG has found that the deal was awarded without competitive bids being invited.
The Hindu reports: "Hard on the heels of its explosive investigations of the 2G spectrum allotments made in 2008 by the Department of Telecommunications, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has started inquiries into a 2005 agreement between the Indian Space Research Organisation's commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd. and Devas Multimedia Private Ltd."
The company that allegedly benefited from the deal, Devas Multimedia, is headed by Dr M G Chandrashekhar, who was earlier scientific secretary at ISRO.
Related
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"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. In 2010, the Union government got nearly Rs. 67,719 crore from the auction of just 15 Mhz of similar airwaves for 3G mobile services," The Hindu says.
The CAG was alerted because unlike in earlier contracts, ISRO placed no restrictions on Devas Multimedia for onward leasing of spectrum. That means the company could make huge amounts of money by sub-leasing its privileges.
This is said to be the first time that S-band, which ranges from 2500 to 2690 Mhz, has been opened up to the private sector. The Hindu group's business paper, Business Line, is credited with breaking the story.
The CAG is concerned that ISRO's internal procedures were flouted, while the Prime Minister’s Office, the Cabinet, and the Space Commission were not fully informed about the contract, including the underestimation of ISRO’s costs, The Hindu reports.
The loss purportedly runs into Rs 2 lakh crore, while the 2G spectrum scandal, which cost A Raja his job as telecom minister, is believed to have cost the nation a little less, at Rs 1.7 lakh crore.
The Department of Space and ISRO are under the scanner because the CAG has found that the deal was awarded without competitive bids being invited.
The Hindu reports: "Hard on the heels of its explosive investigations of the 2G spectrum allotments made in 2008 by the Department of Telecommunications, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has started inquiries into a 2005 agreement between the Indian Space Research Organisation's commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd. and Devas Multimedia Private Ltd."
The company that allegedly benefited from the deal, Devas Multimedia, is headed by Dr M G Chandrashekhar, who was earlier scientific secretary at ISRO.
Related
* DMK sticks by arrested Raja
* Raja's arrest an eyewash, says Jayalalithaa
* BJP firm on demand for JPC investigation
"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. In 2010, the Union government got nearly Rs. 67,719 crore from the auction of just 15 Mhz of similar airwaves for 3G mobile services," The Hindu says.
The CAG was alerted because unlike in earlier contracts, ISRO placed no restrictions on Devas Multimedia for onward leasing of spectrum. That means the company could make huge amounts of money by sub-leasing its privileges.
This is said to be the first time that S-band, which ranges from 2500 to 2690 Mhz, has been opened up to the private sector. The Hindu group's business paper, Business Line, is credited with breaking the story.
The CAG is concerned that ISRO's internal procedures were flouted, while the Prime Minister’s Office, the Cabinet, and the Space Commission were not fully informed about the contract, including the underestimation of ISRO’s costs, The Hindu reports.
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