Alleged USAID funding ‘for voter turnout’ was for Bangladesh, not India: Report

The United States government’s alleged $21 million funding “for voter turnout” was for Bangladesh, not India, The Indian Express reported on Friday citing federal spending records.

On Sunday, the Donald Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency announced that it had cancelled several international aid initiatives through the United States Agency for International Development “costing taxpayers’ dollars”.

USAID is an independent agency that is mainly responsible for administering foreign aid and development assistance on behalf of the US government. Trump had on January 24 imposed a 90-day freeze on money distributed by the organisation pending a review by the US State Department.

The list of initiatives for which funding was revoked on Sunday included $486 million in grants to the nonprofit organisation Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, including an alleged grant of $21 million “for voter turnout” in India.

The consortium comprises three organisations – the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems – that support elections and political transitions globally. It is funded by the USAID Global Elections and Political Transitions Program.

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Trump’s senior adviser and billionaire Elon Musk, has not provided further details, including the Indian entity or organisation that was allegedly meant to receive the grants.

On Friday, The Indian Express reported citing official US federal expenditure data…

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