House panel 'dismayed' at avoidable expenditure on GSAT-18 satellite

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has expressed "dismay" at the avoidable expenditure totalling Rs 17.27 crore on the launch of GSAT-18 communication satellite, which had six extended C-band transponders for use in 2027.

The committee, chaired by Congress member K C Venugopal, noted that the satellite with 48 transponders (24 C Band, 12 Extended C Band and 12 Ku Band) was launched on an urgent basis in October 2016 to meet the immediate requirement of protecting the existing users/services of INSAT-3C in its C and Extended C Band and INSAT4CR in its Ku Band which were reaching their end of life in Nov 2016 and June 2019, respectively.

"Consequent to the launch of GSAT 18, the committee found that it replaced 24 C band transponders and 6 extended C Band transponders of INSAT 3C and balance, six extended C-Band transponders of GSAT-18 satellite were not put to use since its launch as these transponders were already available in GSAT-14 satellite," said the report that was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

It said that "improper planning" and the absence of any mechanism to anticipate the existing capacity have resulted in a situation where six Extended C' Band transponders of GSAT-18 have been lying unutilised since its launch in 2016.

The committee said it was dismayed to learn from the reply of the Department of Space that the said six Extended CBand transponders would be utilised to replace the same in GSAT-14, after its end of life in 2027 till the expected end of life of GSAT-18 in 2032.

The report said the Committee was unable to understand how it would be economically viable to keep six Extended C-Band transponders idle for 11 years for the sake of utilising them for a period of five years.

The Department of Space told the committee that carrying the transponders on GSAT-18 was a conscious decision as the same were required to provide continuity of service and continued occupancy of orbit-spectrum in Ext C band after the end of life of GSAT-14.

"As per the ITU Radio Regulations, non-occupancy beyond three years leads to losing the priority to use the spectrum at that orbital slot. Hence, it was a conscious decision to carry these transponders on GSAT-18," the DOS said in a written reply.

The Department of Space said launching of a satellite with only six Ext C-Band transponders is not commercially viable due to sub-optimal configuration and so far no such satellite was realised.