New Delhi, April 23: A Parliamentary panel has sternly told the Planning Commission not to interfere in the decision making process of ISRO, particularly in the ambitious Human Space Flight (HSF) programme.
“The Committee fails to understand that when the Space Commission, the highest policy making body of the Department of Space, has given the go ahead to this (HSF) programme, why stumbling blocks were created at the government level.
“Planning Commission should not come in the way of conception and realisation of a programme only because it is instrumental in providing allocations for the Department.”
These strong words are in the 206th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests which was tabled in the Lok Sabha today. The Committee is headed by Rajya Sabha member T Subbarami Reddy.
Government has already approved the pre-project activities for the Rs 12,400 crore human space flight project.
“We are now seeking phase-wise approvals for various steps in the project,” an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spokesman said when asked to comment on the report.
The Committee appeared miffed at the drastic reduction in the allocation for the HSF at the Revised Estimates stage in 2009-10.
In its report, the Committee noted that while the HSF was allocated Rs 238 crore at the Budget Estimates stage, the was reduced to Rs 30 crore at the Revised Estimates stage.
It said that the Department of Space had submitted the Budget Report for the HSF which was reviewed and cleared by the Space Commission, as well as, by a high-level Committee chaired by the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission.
“However, it was indicated through the subsequent discussions that the Human Space Flight programme could be taken up in phases and the first phase should focus on developing critical technologies such as crew module, service module, crew escape system, environment control and life support systems,” the Committee report said.
It noted that the RE provision, therefore, had been reduced in view of the pre-project activities.
The Committee expressed the view that the HSF should not only be taken up in the right earnest but also be made successful at the earliest.
“The Committee strongly recommends that the right to take final decision in scientific and technical matters should be vested with the Department of Space only and financial constraints should not be allowed to come in its way towards progress of these crucial and critical programmes,” the report said.
-PTI