ISRO renews MoU with AP on satcom applications

Hyderabad, Aug 25 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today renewed their 'July-2000' MoU on the application of satellite-based communication.

State IT and Communication Department Secretary K Ratna Prabha and ISRO Programme Director A Bhaskarnarayana exchanged MoU in the presence of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and ISRO Chairman Madhavan Nair at the Secretariat here.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Reddy said under the renewed MoU, the government would utilise INSAT-3B satellite using Ku Band Transponder for satellite-based communication in the areas of distance education, telemedicine, agriculture extension and self-help groups.

The ISRO would provide transponder capacity on board its INSAT and the technical support to the government for transmitting the programme.

Stating that the ISRO would provide assistance to the state in the next three years as per the MoU, Mr Nair said it was committed to self reliance in building satellites and rockets.

The Chief Minister said ISRO was providing free of cost assistance to the government in the area of satellite communication.

Promising the government would provide two lakh job opportunities in IT and ITES sector in the next three years, Dr Reddy said it already provided 65,000 jobs to the youth in IT sector in the last two years.

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