Elon Musk-led DOGE cuts grant

Washington: Elon Musk-led US government’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has announced a major cut in funding of $21 million which was intended to be utilised for increasing the voter turnout in India.

According to information put out by the DOGE on X, about $750 million of US taxpayers’ money was allocated for several international projects which includes increasing voter turnout in India’s election and strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh.

DOGE announced on Sunday that all these expenditures which were going to take place with US taxpayers’ money have been cancelled.

The department in an X post noted that $486 million was to be sent to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $21 million for voter turnout in India.

The Election Commission of India, the body which oversees India’s election, has not made any official statement on the matter.

In reaction to the DOGE’s decision to cut funding for India’s voter turnout, Sanjeev Sanyal, who is a member of PM Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council said, “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”.

Adding to his post on X, Sanyal further added “Not to mention the US$29mn spend to improve “fiscal federalism” in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history.”