The Daily Telegraph

‘No clear rationale’ for £2.3bn of aid sent to India

- By Daniel Martin DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

BRITAIN has sent £2.3billion in aid to India since 2016, despite ministers having given the impression the country would receive no more money, a report has found.

The Independen­t Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), the Government’s aid watchdog, said many people “would be surprised” to see money continuing to go to India at this level.

It said the huge amounts were poorly targeted, with not enough going towards priorities such as poverty reduction and human rights.

In one example, millions were given to an Indian bank to loan to the poorest people but instead it spent the money on business loans and providing the wealthy with credit cards.

ICAI gave the UK’S India aid programme a score of amber-red, the second-worst available. Dr Tamsyn Barton, its chief commission­er, said the portfolio was not “coherent” and the “developmen­t rationale for it wasn’t clear”.

An FCDO spokespers­on said: “Since 2015 the UK has given no financial aid to the government of India. Most of our funding is focused on business investment­s which help create new markets and jobs for the UK, as well as India.”

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