The UPA government has been given a long leash in the Union budget to fulfill its developmental commitments to neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, where projections for the next financial foresee doubling of allocation for technical, economic cooperation and aid projects.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has received a 23% hike (nearly Rs 1,826 crore) over the revised estimates for 2011-12 (Rs 7,836 crore). Over Rs 1,668 crore of this hike has been allocated towards realising India’s developmental commitments to other countries.
From Rs 3,023 crore in 2010-11, and nearly Rs 3,433 crore in 2011-12, the allocation under the budgetary head “technical and economic cooperation with other countries and advances to foreign governments” has been hiked to over Rs 5101 crore, which is almost 53% of the foreign ministry’s total budget. These projections are part of the commitments made by India to various countries for disbursal over the next few years.
On Afghanistan, India expended Rs 290 crore in 2011-12 — the budget has projected a spending of Rs 707 crore. This is the highest budgetary allocation on Afghanistan in recent years.
With a rising economic stature, coupled with strategic compulsions largely shaped by China and Pakistan, India has sought to increase its economic foot print in its neighbourhood and has been increasingly involved in developmental projects.
