CAG blasts dept of space on Antrix-Devas deal

The Comptroller and Auditor General has come down heavily on the Department of Space, particularly on its former Secretary G Madhavan Nair, in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal alleging numerous rules and policies were violated and facts concealed to favour a private company.

"The Antrix-Devas deal is a classic instance of failure of the governance structure in which selected individuals, some serving and some retired public servants, were able to successfully propel the agenda of a private entity by arrogating unto themselves, powers which they were not legitimately authorised to exercise," the CAG report said.

The CAG highlighted the alleged conflict of interest in the multiple roles exercised by Nair, saying this could have been avoided if different persons were appointed to crucial posts to ensure checks and balances.

The CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, also criticised the Department of Space for its failure to explore the revenue potential of 70 MHz of S-Band spectrum earmarked for Devas for an infinite period.

On the role of Nair, the report said as chairman Indian Space Research Organisation he appointed the Shankara committee to examine the proposals of M/s Forge Advisors and as Secretary, DoS, Nair submitted a note to the Union Cabinet in which critical facts were concealed.

As chairman, Space Commission, he chaired meetings where approval to GSAT-6 adn 6A satellites were accorded, it noted.

"He failed to convene INSAT coordination committee meetings as its chairman, as a result of which, concerns of key stakeholders, represented through respective Secretaries of ministries/departments, were effectively blocked off in the decision-making process," the CAG report said.

The CAG said the same person holding multiple posts of chairman ICC, chairman Space Commission, secretary DoS, chairman ISRO and chairman-cum-managing director, Antrix clearly led to a conflict of interest.

"Since the damage that this could do has been very clearly brought out, among others, by the high powered review committee, it is evident that the government would have to ensure that the same person does not hold all the crucial posts and different functionaries are appointed to ensure checks and balances," the report said.

It said that the DoS "went beyond its remit" as laid down in the Allocation of Business Rules, "concealed facts" from the Union Cabinet and "violated" numerous rules, policies and procedures.

"Public interest and those of the government were sacrificed to favour a private consultancy firm which was promoted by D Venugopal and M G Chandrashekhar, retired employees of ISRO," the report said.

It said the DoS took upon itself the task of approving the new hybrid S-DMB service which as in the case of DTH services was the prerogative of the Union Cabinet.

"The Department of Space, while seeking approval of the Union Cabinet for the launch of the GSAT-6 satellite in November 2005, suppressed the crucial fact that t had signed an agreement with only one user i.e. Devas and not with different users as mentioned in the Cabinet note," it said.

Further, to avoid obtaining of approval of the Union Cabinet, DoS estimated the cost of GSAT-6A, the subsequent satellite of a similar configuration after GSAT-6 at Rs 147 crore so that it fell within the financial competence of the Space Commission, the CAG report alleged. The cost of GSAT-6 was Rs 269 crore.