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 USD 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 USD 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.
India is currently working on the Salma hydro-electric dam in Herat Province as well as other power generation/ transmission projects, has refurbished telecommunications infrastructure equipment in 11 provinces and is constructing
the new Afghan Parliament building in Kabul, the report noted.
In January 2010, at the London Conference for Afghanistan, India announced additional assistance for Afghanistan agriculture in the form of agriculture degree scholarships and training grants to agricultural officials.
"India also announced that they would work with the United Nations Development Programme and the Afghan Government to enhance existing ministerial capacity building programmes,"
it said.
The report said the countries of Central Asia -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan -- continue their important contributions to the security and stabilisation of Afghanistan.
Most notably, officials from Central Asia have worked closely with US officials to diversify lines of communication
into, and out of, Afghanistan.
These lines of communication, including over-flight permissions and ground transit agreements, have allowed further development of the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), providing an alternative transportation route into
Afghanistan that allows commercial vendors to bring supplies to the US and coalition forces in Afghanistan.