Congress slams BJP after FinMin report says USAID projects not related to 'voter turnout'

Amid the ongoing row over USAID funding, the Congress on Monday claimed that the Union finance ministry has "thoroughly exposed" the BJP's "lies" with its annual report for 2023-24 stating that the US agency is currently implementing seven projects in collaboration with the Government of India and none of them has anything to do with voter turnout. The BJP has also rejected allegations of the Congress and accused Rahul Gandhi as well as the party of colluding with foreign forces in a bid to weaken India.

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 the Government of India," as per the finance ministry's annual report for 2023-24.


Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "None other than the Union Finance Ministry has thoroughly exposed the lies of the PM and his jhoot brigade, including his dapper External Affairs Minister."

As stated in the finance ministry's annual report for 2023-24, USAID is currently implementing seven projects in collaboration with the Government of India, with a combined budget of approximately USD 750 million, he said in a post on X.

"Not a single of these projects has to do with voter turnout. All of them are with and through the Union Government," Ramesh said.

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, the ministry report 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 and food security programme; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); renewable energy; disaster management and health.

A political controversy erupted in the country earlier this month after the Elon Musk-led DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) claimed that it had cancelled a USD 21 million grant to India to boost "voter turnout".

US President Donald Trump also repeatedly claimed that USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated USD 21 million in funding to India for 'voter turnout'.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the information put out by the Trump administration is "concerning" and the government is looking into it.

The USAID was allowed in India "in good faith, to do good faith activities", and suggestions are being made out of the US that "there are activities which are in bad faith," Jaishankar had said.

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