India Trying To Win Over Hearts Of Its Neighbors – OpEd
According to The Bangladesh Chronicle, India has announced substantial assistance for all the SAARC member countries, except Pakistan.
The announcement was made by Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the 2022-23 budget in the parliament.
India announced Rs 300 crore annual budgetary financial assistance for Bangladesh, up from Rs 200 crore in the outgoing fiscal 2021-22. The allocation of the financial assistance has been provided for the Ministry of External Affairs.
Myanmar will get Rs 600 crore, Rs 200 crore more than last financial year, and Nepal will get Rs 750 crore from India in the coming fiscal.
India has allocated Rs 200 crore as aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in for 2022-23 even though New Delhi does not have diplomatic presence in Kabul where its embassy has remained closed since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August last.
The government of Ashraf Ghani in Afghanistan had in the last fiscal received around Rs 348 crore from India.
The Maldives at Rs 360 crore (as against Rs 250 crore in 2021-22) also saw an increase in India’s annual aid provision in today’s budget document.
At Rs 2,266.24 crore in 2022-23, Bhutan is once again be the highest recipient of India’s annual financial aid. But this is lower than Rs 3,004.95 crore in 2021-22 fiscal.
The second highest recipient in the coming financial year of the allocation will be the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius — Rs 900 crore.
