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US budget includes $15 M for India, $300 M for Pak
By siliconindia staff writer
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Tuesday, 03 February 2004, 20:30 IST
WASHINGTON: The US budget proposals unveiled by President George W Bush include $564 million in aid for South Asia, the bulk of it for Pakistan and Afghanistan and a comparatively miniscule amount for India.
The 2005 budget proposes $15 million to finance an education initiative in India for disadvantaged communities, implement water and power infrastructure reform activities, help reduce fiscal deficits in the states and develop a more effective disaster response system.
For Pakistan, the budget proposes $300 million, figures released on Tuesday by the Agency for International Development (AID), now part of the State Department, said.
This includes $200 million for debt relief/budget support and $100 million for targeted social sector programmes such as education reform, expansion of basic health services for women and children, accountable and participatory democratic governance and expansion of economic opportunities.
Afghanistan is set to receive $225 million to "bolster progress toward stability, prosperity and democracy," AID said.
The funds would be used to assist legislative elections and strengthen nascent democratic institutions, build basic infrastructure, pay salaries, create incentives for demobilisation and reintegration of militiamen and assist Afghan women and girls, the department said.
Bush on Monday sent to the Congress a $2.4 trillion budget which featured massive increases on military spending and a record $521 billion deficit.