No decision yet on S-band allocation: PMO

NEW DELHI - The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Tuesday said the government has not taken any decision on the spectrum allocation of radio waves used for satellite communication, amid reports that such a deal between the Indian space agency’s commercial arm and a private company has caused the nation an estimated loss of Rs.2 lakh crore.

“It is clarified that no decision has been taken by the government to allocate space segment using S-Band Spectrum to ANTRIX or Devas,” a statement from the PMO said.

The statement comes a day after the revelation led to a fresh political controversy with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left demanding a probe into the reported CAG estimate of losses.

But the PMO said “any such reports are without basis in fact”.

The statement said the PMO had seen reports alleging loss of government revenue in a contract entered into by Indian Space Research Organisation’s ANTRIX and Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd. on lease of space segment capacity that 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. The question of revenue loss does not arise and any such reports are without basis in fact.”

The CAG issued a statement Monday clarifying that the media reports of an alleged scam in a deal between the ISRO and a private firm cannot be seen as its findings.