Washington: Applauding India’s developmental role in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has said New Delhi remains one of the largest assistance donors for the war-torn country for which it has pledged $1.3 billion in aid.
“Indian projects were undertaken in partnership with the Afghan Government, in alignment with the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, and with a focus on local ownership of assets. India remains one of Afghanistan’s largest assistance donors,” the Pentagon said in a report on Afghanistan submitted to the Congress.
India has pledged $1.3 billion in reconstruction and developmental aid in Afghanistan, approximately one-third of which has been disbursed, it said.
India’s civilian aid is channelled into three main areas: infrastructure development – roads, water, electricity; capacity building – 1,300 annual college scholarships and civil service training grants; and humanitarian assistance – food and medical aid.
