Daily Pioneer: Bangalore: Thursday, March 01, 2012.
In a further embarrassment to the UPA Government, former chairman and one of the blacklisted space scientists G Madhavan Nair has been refused information on the reason for blacklisting him and three other space scientists in the scrapped 2005 Antrix-Devas deal under RTI by department of space.
This has turned ISRO row nasty and Madhavan Nair who has been fighting a running battle with the department of space, on blacklisting them in the scrapped deal, has felt miserable and shocked after he received a blank paper in response to an RTI with the department of space seeking information on the reason for the blacklisting them.
Madhavan Nair on Wednesday evening revealed this to the media and said it was a shocking and he would move the appellate authority.
He said, “Virtually I can say I got a blank paper. Nothing contains in that. It’s a shame to the RTI act. Open issue like this...people keep on telling that under Section 80 or something like that, we (DoS) cannot reveal the data,” anguished Nair said, adding, he will file an appeal to the appellete authority.
“I wanted to know what are the specific recommendations based on which action was taken and file notings on that. All those things are blank,” Nair said. “Just sending the terms of reference of the two committees, what’s the use?,” Nair questioned.
Nair filed an application under RTI a month ago after being blacklisted from any Government assignment as action was takenagainst him and three other scientists based on the reports of two Government-appointed committees that probed the deal.
An upset Nair questioned the significance of RTI act and further attacked ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan for his role in the entire episode. He said “The Department of Space (under Radhakrishnan) has been twisting and turning every bit of norms to suit the personal whims and fancies of some people there,” he said, severely criticising the ISRO chairman.
He said, “worst of the things” are happening in the DoS which is supposed to be known for transparency all these years. “There is a provision for appeal, and I will do that.” “It’s really disgusting the way the Department of Space is working,” Nair said.
Nair also justified the Antrix Devas deal and said it was to bring relevant technology to the country.
In an embarrassment to the UPA Government just few days back an eminent aerospace scientist Professor Roddam Narasimha resigned as the member of space commission in protest against Government’s blacklisting of Nair and three other scientists.
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