Greater Noida (National Desk): America’s Department of Government Efficiency on Sunday claimed that United States Agency For International Development (USAID) were going to be spent $21M for voter turnout in India. This claim raises many questions. Who were the recipients of this money? Why does US spend money in India for voter turnout? Why they want to interfere in the Indian democratic election process?
The Department of Government Efficiency have shared data for many countries on social media website X. They write: US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
– $10M for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
– $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills”
– $2.3M for “strengthening independent voices in Cambodia”
– $32M to the Prague Civil Society Centre
– $40M for “gender equality and women empowerment hub”
– $14M for “improving public procurement” in Serbia
– $486M to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $22M for “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India
– $29M to “strenghening political landscape in Bangladesh”
– $20M for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal
– $19M for “biodiversity conversation” in Nepal
– $1.5M for “voter confidence” in Liberia
– $14M for “social cohesion” in Mali
– $2.5M for “inclusive democracies in Southern Africa”
– $47M for “improving learning outcomes in Asia”
– $2M to develop “sustainable recycling models” to “increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalized communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt”
US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
– $10M for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
– $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills”
– $2.3M for “strengthening…— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 15, 2025
This practice is not only illegal but also very unethical in a democratic country like India. Economist Sanjeev Sanyal terms this as the biggest scam in human history and writes, “Would love to find out who received the US$21mn spent to improve “voter turnout in India” and the US$29mn to “strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh”; not to mention the US$29mn spend to improve “fiscal federalism” in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history.”
Would love to find out who received the US$21mn spent to improve “voter turnout in India” and the US$29mn to “strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh”; not to mention the US$29mn spend to improve “fiscal federalism” in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history. pic.twitter.com/ccVHcnzWSj
— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) February 16, 2025
