Budgetary allocation for Gaganyaan for 2020-21 does not reflect its significance: Par panel

The Gaganyaan programme is a "prestigious national endeavour with global significance" but the budgetary allocation for 2020-21 does not reflect its importance, a parliamentary panel has observed.

The parliamentary standing committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which tabled its report in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, also said the budget allocation to the project must be enhanced by another Rs 3,000 crore at the Revised Estimates (RE) stage.

The Department of Space had projected an amount of Rs 4,256.78 crore for the Gaganyaan mission in the Budgetary Estimate (BE) against which an amount of Rs 1,200 crore has been allocated.

"The Gaganyaan programme is a very prestigious national endeavour with global significance. But the budgetary allocation for 2020-21 does not reflect this importance," the panel observed.

Gaganyaan, ISRO's manned mission to space, envisages sending three Indians to space by 2022 and bringing them back to Earth safely.

The DoS had projected a demand of Rs 24,686.20 crore for BE 2020-21, against which an amount of Rs 13,479.47 crore has been allocated.