Prithviraj meets Sonia, Pranab; talks Antrix-Devas deal

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief MinisterPrithviraj Chavan today met Congress President Sonia Gandhiand Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and is understood tohave apprised them about the controversial Antrix-Devas deal.

Chavan, who was Minister of State in the PMO and Member,Space Commission, when ISRO''s commercial arm Antrix had signedthe deal with private firm Devas Multimedia, is understood tohave told Gandhi and Mukherjee that there was no loss to theexchequer as no spectrum allocations were made in the case.

He is believed to have told the two leaders that theSpace Commission had recommended cancellation of the dealwithin 90 minutes of it being brought to its notice.

The deal for lease of 90 per cent transponders on twosatellites -- GSAT 6 and GSAT 6A -- was referred to the SpaceCommission on July 2, 2010. The Commission immediatelyrecommended that the deal be scrapped as it felt it was a "baddecision and a bad contract".

The Board of Antrix Corporation had approved the deal inDecember 2004 and signed it on January 28, 2005.

The Opposition has been targetting the government on theDevas deal.