Lion’s share of foreign aid goes to ‘friend’ Bhutan

The biggest individual share of Indian aid to foreign nations in the Union Budget for 2022-23 announced on Tuesday, including to the immediate neighbourhood, has gone to New Delhi’s close friend Bhutan followed by Mauritius, Nepal, and Myanmar but an allocation of `200 crore has also been made for Afghanistan despite the fall of that country to the Pakistan-backed Taliban in August last year.

The Iranian port of Chabahar—which gives India sea-land connectivity to Central Asia via Iran—has also been given allocation at a steady and consistent `100 crore, the same as last year.

The total aid to foreign nations and projects there in the Budget 2022-23 has been pegged at `6,292 crore, down from the `7,148 crore in the original Budget 2021-22 last year but higher than the `5,287 crore in the revised estimates for that Budget.

The faraway but friendly Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius is at second position as a recipient of Indian assistance and has been given an allocation of `900 crore. Neighbouring Nepal has been given an allocation in the Budget 2022-23 at `750 crore, which is lower than `992 crore in the original Budget last year for 202122 but higher than the revised estimates in that Budget, which is `650 crore.

Though India has been pushing for restoration of democracy in neighbouring Myanmar, the military-ruled nation has been given an allocation of `600 crore, which is significantNew