Usaid funded 7 projects in india in fy24 report

Usaid funded 7 projects in india in fy24 report

Finance Ministry report says U.S. agency funded projects worth $750 million related to agriculture, food security, water, sanitation and hygiene, disaster management, health, and renewable energy.

Amid a raging political controversy over the United States Agency for International Development’s alleged role in influencing Indian elections, the latest annual report of the Finance Ministry has disclosed that USAID funded seven projects estimated at $750 million in 2023-24.

“Currently, seven projects worth a total budget of $750 million (approx.) are being implemented by USAID in partnership with Government of India,” says the Finance Ministry annual report for 2023-24.

For the financial year 2023-24, an obligation of a total of $97 million (about ₹825 crore) has been made by USAID under the seven projects, it said.

The Department of Economic Affairs under the Finance Ministry which is the nodal department for bilateral funding arrangements has also shared the details of projects funded in 2023-24 in the report.

Funded projects

During the year, no funding was made for enhancing voter turnout but to projects related to agriculture and food security programme; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); renewable energy; disaster management and health.

Besides, funds were committed for Sustainable Forests and Climate Adaptation Programme and Energy Efficiency Technology Commercialisation and Innovation Project.

Political controversy erupted in India earlier this month after the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE) claimed that it had cancelled a $21 million grant to India to boost “voter turnout”.

U.S. President Donald Trump also repeatedly claimed that USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated $21 million to India for ‘voter turnout’. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said the information put out by the Trump administration is “concerning” and that the government is looking into it.

‘Procession of liars’

The Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of indulging in “anti-national work” by spreading “fake news from America” and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Jaishankar will also have to answer as to why the government is silent when Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk are “insulting” India repeatedly.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “BJP is a procession of liars and illiterates. The news about $21 million, on which the BJP and their bootlickers were jumping on, turned out to be fake. The $21 million in 2022 was not for ‘voter turnout’ in India, but for Bangladesh.”