Bangalore: CPI (M) on Sunday made a fresh demand
for scrapping the S-band spectrum deal between Bangalore-based
Devas Multimedia Private Limited and ISRO's commercial arm,
Antrix Corporation.
"The agreement was signed in 2005 and the Prime Minister's
Office (PMO) was very well aware of the details. However, it
has been keeping silent," CPIM General Secretary Prakash Karat
told reporters here.
CPIM was not satisfied with placing the Space Commission's
proposal to annul the deal before the Cabinet Committee on
security, he said.
Devas is a firm with investments from the US and Germany
and "when such is the matter, how can Antrix of Indian Space
Research Organisation sign such a deal?" he asked.
"The Prime Minister should first answer as to how it
happened, that too under the nose of PMO," Karat said.
Replying to a question about ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan
offering to quit on the issue, Karat said, "We are not
against ISRO...it was Antrix which flouted the rules".
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 13, 2011, 18:15