Why is U.S. Paying to Make Indian Politicians Better?
Friday, 23 December 2011, 22:41 IST   |    1 Comments
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Why is U.S. Paying to Make Indian Politicians Better?
Washington: Why amid record-low approval ratings for US lawmakers, U.S. taxpayers have paid $425,642 for a study on how local politicians in India can improve as elected officials through better communications? So wonders 'Wastebook 2011', a new oversight report released by senator Tom Coburn, highlighting what he calls over $6.5 billion in examples 'of the countless unnecessary, duplicative and low-priority projects spread throughout the federal government'. As part of the National Science Foundation-financed study to research the effects of providing information to citizens on the performance record of local lawmakers, investigators will follow citizens and officials in Delhi for two years, according to the report. 'It is unclear, however, why India, one of largest nations in the world, would be interested in taking instructions from the United States on how to improve its political culture,' it said. Noting that 'India's economy will overtake the US by mid-century', the report said: 'It is also unclear why the United States is paying for research on a country that owns $40 billion of our national debt, making them one of the major foreign holders of U.S. Treasury securities. 'Strangely, India is also a significant beneficiary of US foreign aid, receiving over $126 million in health, economic, and security assistance last year.' In another example, the report said the Department of Agriculture's Market Access Programme (MAP) recently 'used taxpayer dollars to subsidise a popular reality television show in India where aspiring designers create fashionable outfits using cotton'. 'Video games, robot dragons, Christmas trees, and magic museums. This is not a Christmas wish list, these are just some of the ways the federal government spent your tax dollars,' Coburn said.
Source: IANS
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