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US budget doles out $15-m for India, $300-m for Pak

The US budget proposals unveiled by President George W Bush includes $564 million in aid for South Asia, the bulk of it for Pakistan and Afghanistan and a comparitively miniscule amount for India.

The 2005 budget proposes USD 15 million to finance an education initiative in India for disadvantaged communities, implement water and power infrastructure reform activities, help reduce fiscal deficits in the states and develop a more effective disaster response system.

For Pakistan, the budget proposes $300 million, figures released today by the Agency for International Development (AID), now part of the State Department, said.

This includes $200 million for debt relief/budget support and USD 100 million for targeted social sector programmes such as education reform, expansion of basic health services for women and children, accountable and participatory democratic governance and expansion of economic opportunities.

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