Overseas Aid : £10,000 - £250,000 Civil Society Challenge Funds available to UK organisations to help in Punjab

For the last 2 years, the British Sikh Federation (BSF) has been urging the British Government that a fair share of the £100 million overseas aid to India should go to Punjab, which should be £70 million/year, since 70% of all Indians and Pakistanis living in the UK are Punjabis. Approx. £20 million/year is given to Punjab in Pakistan (out of a total £25 million) but nothing is given to Punjab in India.. We pay for this overseas aid with our taxes, and it is only fair that Punjab in India should get it’s fair share.

The Government Department for International Development (DFID) has now agreed to make matching funds available to UK based organisations to help in the Punjab. The fund is about supporting work which empowers poor people, enabling them to speak for themselves, to do things for themselves and to make their own demands of those in power. It is about improving links between people to strengthen the demand for progress and to ensure that economic and social advances are equitably distributed globally. A copy of the Guidelines for Applicants can be obtained directly from

Civil Society Department, DFID, Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 8EA

British development aid to Punjab

The British Government gave a total of £282.5 million in 1995/96 to the Indian Sub-continent countries, and since 1986/87 such assistance has totalled £2,200 million, with India receiving about £1,000 million over the last 10 years. However, no British aid has been granted to Punjab (India), despite the fact that the vast majority of Indians resident in Britain are Punjabis (Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, etc.). Please urge your Councillors and MPs to treat Punjab fairly, and give it the majority of aid every year; it comes from our taxes.

During the last 10 years India has received the most aid, running at £95-£100 million per year. Aid projects include £41 million for Primary education in Bengal, £32 million for Primary education in Andra Pradesh, another £46 million for a new Primary education project in Andra Pradesh, a £9 million health project for Primary schools in Andra Pradesh, £25 million for a forestry project in Karnataka, £3 million for a forestry project in Himachal Pradesh, £19.9 million for work on the Hirakud Dam hydro electricity station, £42 million for electricity distribution projects in Andra Pradesh, £63 million for high voltage direct current links, £16.4 million for Maharastra water supply and sanitation project, Health and Welfare projects in Orissa, etc.

Pakistan receives £25 million every year. Projects include £4 million for Punjab Middle schools, £3 million for health projects in Balochistan and North West Frontier Province, £8.3 million for primary health services in Punjab and Balochistan, £9 million for family planning services, £18 million for water and sanitation project to the Lahore Water and Sanitation Agency, £13 million for Faisalabad Area (Punjab) Upgrading project, £9 million to the water and power company WAPDA for 5 dams in north Pakistan, £13 million for 44 gates for irrigation barrage on the Indus river, etc.

Punjab in Pakistan has been given aid; why not Punjab in India? This is despite the fact that 70% of Indians resident in Britain are Punjabi Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims. Please push for your Rights, and for your taxes to be fairly distributed in aid to Punjab; help is needed in Punjab with education, medical facilities, electricity power, water and sanitation clean up, control of pollution, roads, telecommunications, etc.

On a proportionate basis, since 70% of all Indians living in Britain come from Punjab, Punjab should receive £70 Million aid every year from Britain, that is 700 Crore Rupees; £17 Million should go to Gujarat every year as well.