CHANDRAYAN – STOP WASTING OUR MONEY
We taxpayers have a right to say: stop wasting our money.
The Indian space research has something to their credit. They are earning money from communication satellites. But I totally oppose their Chandrayan project, and we should abandon Mars project, too, because, as a poor nation we cannot afford to squander money. It is like a middle class family buying a car just to show off.
The Russians and the U.S embarked upon space research, primarily for improving their war machinery. Poor nations would, better stay away from this space race, as Russians wisely stayed away from the manned moon mission in 1969. At that time they were slightly ahead of their rival power in space research. They calculated that they can get all information about the moon by unmanned vehicles.
Nehru had utopian dreams about India becoming a great power, when he established the Atomic Energy Commission. We, the insiders, call it ‘ Department of Avoidable Expenditure’. There was a long strike in Rajasthan Atomic Power Station in 1977, lasting one hundred and twenty one days, when Morarji Desai was prime minister. When it was pointed out that such an important establishment must not be shut down even for a day, the adamant PM quipped: I don’t mind if the whole department of DAE is closed. We can save some money. I am B.Sc. You cannot befool me.Whatever information you are getting from ‘research’ is already available in the library.
I fully agree with this statement. It is no fun doing things whish was done by the great powers fifty years ago. Successive Prime Ministers and the parliament have been persuaded to increase the allotment for DAE, without any control over budget allotment, because research should not suffer.
It is high time we wake up. I suggest some measures
Strict audit by the Controller and Auditor General, supported by scientists, not connected to the department.
Transfer the departments of atomic energy and space to some other ministry, not under the Prime Minister. All engineers should be treated as such, not as Scientists for purposes of salary and promotion.
Strict audit, especially of contracts and purchases.
Permanent audit offices, attached to each establishment, as in railways. Now they come only for periodic inspections and never raise any points!
As accounts Officer, I have bee watching helplessly.
All this applies to space research too.
We taxpayers have a right to say: stop wasting our money.
The Indian space research has something to their credit. They are earning money from communication satellites. But I totally oppose their Chandrayan project, and we should abandon Mars project, too, because, as a poor nation we cannot afford to squander money. It is like a middle class family buying a car just to show off.
The Russians and the U.S embarked upon space research, primarily for improving their war machinery. Poor nations would, better stay away from this space race, as Russians wisely stayed away from the manned moon mission in 1969. At that time they were slightly ahead of their rival power in space research. They calculated that they can get all information about the moon by unmanned vehicles.
Nehru had utopian dreams about India becoming a great power, when he established the Atomic Energy Commission. We, the insiders, call it ‘ Department of Avoidable Expenditure’. There was a long strike in Rajasthan Atomic Power Station in 1977, lasting one hundred and twenty one days, when Morarji Desai was prime minister. When it was pointed out that such an important establishment must not be shut down even for a day, the adamant PM quipped: I don’t mind if the whole department of DAE is closed. We can save some money. I am B.Sc. You cannot befool me.Whatever information you are getting from ‘research’ is already available in the library.
I fully agree with this statement. It is no fun doing things whish was done by the great powers fifty years ago. Successive Prime Ministers and the parliament have been persuaded to increase the allotment for DAE, without any control over budget allotment, because research should not suffer.
It is high time we wake up. I suggest some measures
Strict audit by the Controller and Auditor General, supported by scientists, not connected to the department.
Transfer the departments of atomic energy and space to some other ministry, not under the Prime Minister. All engineers should be treated as such, not as Scientists for purposes of salary and promotion.
Strict audit, especially of contracts and purchases.
Permanent audit offices, attached to each establishment, as in railways. Now they come only for periodic inspections and never raise any points!
As accounts Officer, I have bee watching helplessly.
All this applies to space research too.
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