No USAID funding for voter turnout, $750 million spent on 7 projects in India in 2023-24: Finance Ministry report

NEW DELHI: Amid a raging political controversy over USAID’s alleged role in influencing Indian elections, the latest annual report of the finance ministry has disclosed that the agency funded seven projects worth USD 750 million in 2023-24.

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

For the financial year 2023-24, an obligation of a total of USD 97 million (about Rs 825 crore) has been made by the US Agency for International Development (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.

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

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