NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: India may be tom-tomming its maiden human spaceflight mission “Gaganyaan”, which is planned for 2022, but is yet to provide the four selected fighter pilots, currently undergoing training in Russia, with the requisite documentation and authorisation due to persisting bureaucratic bottlenecks.The government sanction letter (GSL) for the four IAF pilots or “astronaut-elects”, who began their 12-month training programme in Russia from February 10, is yet to be signed and issued, said sources on Wednesday.Incidentally, Isro has also been allocated only Rs 1,200 crore of the Rs 4,257 crore it wanted in the 2020-2021 budget for the Gaganyaan programme. As cleared by the Union cabinet in December 2018, the total cost of Gaganyaan — which envisages sending a crew of astronauts to space and bringing them back safely to earth before India’s 75th Independence Day in 2022 — is pegged at Rs 10,000 crore.“Without the GSL, the pilots cannot get their proper salaries, allowances and furnished accommodation in Russia under the rules. Nor can their families join them in Russia. As of now, ISRO is making ad hoc payments to them for their sustenance. The bureaucratic lethargy even for a prestigious national mission like Gaganyaan is simply staggering,” said a source.Sources say there is also some dispute between the finance and external affairs ministries over whether the four pilots should get “consular status” as has been proposed. Isro officials were unavailable for a response despite repeated attempts by TOI.But a senior IAF officer in Bengaluru said: “Since Isro is the overall implementing agency of the Gaganyaan mission, the department of space had the responsibility of getting the test pilots the required documentation. They have not done it. We’ve been told there has been some issue with the finance department’s clearance, and that they are working on the matter.”The four Group Captain-rank pilots, all with 20-24 years of service, were selected from an initial pool of about 60 after extensive screening and tests. They are undergoing the planned training programme at the Yuri Gagarin Research & Testing Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) at Oblast in Russia as part of the pact Isro signed with Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russian space agency Roscosmos, in June last year.Glavkosmos director general Dmitry Loskutov had earlier told TOI that the training will include comprehensive medical and biological training, along with a strict physical regimen. They will also study in detail the systems of the Soyuz manned spaceship.“They’ll be trained for the eventuality of an abnormal landing of the descent module in various climatic and geographic zones. During the scheduled flights aboard the special Il-76MDK aircraft, they will also be trained to move and operate in weightlessness modes and environment,” he said.At the end of their training in Russia and India, one or two of the four pilots will finally be selected to circle the earth in India’s first manned spaceflight mission after Isro undertakes two unmanned missions with humanoids. The country is keeping its fingers crossed.