Big hype, little allocation: How flagship Modi schemes are starved of cash

India’s flagship government initiatives have barely spent any of the money allocated to them, a parliamentary committee has reported, raising questions about the on-the-ground implementation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most high profile national programs.

Although India’s government insists the figures are wrong, a report from the parliamentary standing committee on urban development said Modi’s six top infrastructure initiatives spent on average just 21 per cent, or $1.2 billion, of the $5.6 billion allocated.

India’s "Smart Cities" program, which Modi has championed, used just 1.8 percent of the funds released to it, the committee said, or just $28 million of a dedicated $1.5 billion. Other programs to build affordable housing, as well as sewage and drainage facilities, used less than 30 per cent of the available funds, the report said.