BRITAIN gave £2.3billion in aid to India from 2016 to 2021 despite ministers vowing to stop sending taxpayers’ cash there, an independent probe found.

And enormous sums were wasted in areas where it was not needed.

In 2012 the UK agreed to phase out traditional aid to India and in 2015 stopped sending cash to its government.

But since then money has been sent through other channels, according to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact.

Chief Dr Tamsyn Barton said: “India was the 11th largest recipient of UK aid in 2021, receiving more than Bangladesh and Kenya.”

“However, we found that the portfolio wasn’t coherent and that the development rationale for it wasn’t clear.

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“And while we appreciate that democracy and human rights in India is a sensitive area for the UK, we were surprised to find out that the UK had largely ceased supporting work at the local level.”

The report urged Ministers to focus aid on a “limited” number of areas which can help India’s poorer population.

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