The ongoing debate over USAID funding has created a lot of uproar between the ruling party and the Opposition. Adding to the row, Congress on Monday slammed the BJP saying that the Finance Ministry in its annual report has “thoroughly exposed” the party’s “lies”. According to the annual report 2023-24, released by the Finance Ministry, “currently, 7 projects worth a total budget of USD 750 million (approx.) are being implemented by USAID in partnership with GOI (Government of India). For the current FY, an obligation of total USD 97 million (approx.) has been made by USAID under the seven projects.”
These seven projects as per the annual report are:
- Partnership Agreement for Agri. & Food Security Program
- Partnership Agreement for Sustainable Forests and Climate Adaptation Program
- Partnership Agreement for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
- Partnership Agreement for Renewable Energy Technology Commercialization & Innovation
- Partnership Agreement for Health Project
- Disaster Management Support Project
- Partnership Agreement for the Energy Efficiency Technology Commercialization and Innovation Project
Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, took to X and wrote that the Union Finance Ministry has “thoroughly exposed” the “lies” of PM Modi and his team, including the “dapper External Affairs Minister.”
Ramesh added that none of the seven projects mentioned in the annual report are related to voter turnout. All of them are in collaboration with and through the Union Government.
The Congress had on Sunday accused the BJP of doing “anti-national work” by spreading “fake news from America.” They also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar need to explain why the government is staying quiet while US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk keep ‘insulting’ India.
(With PTI Inputs)