MEA proposes independent body for implementation of aid projects.

New Delhi, July 19 (ANI): India' s economic clout has been growing leaps and bounds , the country is fast emerging as one of the biggest regional donor state, whether it is a billion dollar line of credit for Bangladesh, a big scale housing project in Sri Lanka, or a 1 .5 billion dollar disbursement for capacity building in Afghanistan.

India's aid programme is witnessing rapid expansion. It is likely to cross 50000 crore rupees in the next five years. The aid is in the shape of a line of credit, grants, technical consultancy, capacity building, small development projects, scholarships, education programmes, IT economic cooperation, special Commonwealth assistance to Africa and humanitarian aid.

However, reported inordinate delays in the disbursement of aid and implementation of these projects which are handled by the territorial divisions of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in consultation with other ministries, has sometimes become a major irritant in bilateral relations.

The implementation of these projects sometime takes two years. In a bid to expedite the implementation, cut the red tape and bring transparency, the MEA has proposed the creation of an independent body to streamline the process.

According to sources, the MEA has proposed to form an independent agency on the lines of USAID, to keep pace with the India's expanding aid programme.

The proposed agency will be called the Indian Agency for Partnership in Development (IAPD). There will be 50 members in the agency and it would be tasked with the responsibility of implementing, monitoring, providing technical assistance, besides auditing Indian overseas aid projects.

The proposed IAPD will headed by a CEO of the rank of an Additional Secretary. Its other members would include the foreign secretary, the finance secretary, the commerce secretary , two public service undertaking members and two private company members.

All IAPD members would be nominated by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments (CCA).

Sources told ANI that IAPD members would have the power to inspect projects, but would not make policy decisions. It would act as the implementation arm of the ministry of external affairs. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)