His remarks came after International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell – who last year asked why a country with its own nuclear weapons, space programme, overseas development initiatives, and nearly nine per cent economic growth should
be getting aid – said Britain’s payments will continue until 2015.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Prime Minister Singh said: “It is certainly true that if aid is not forthcoming, we will not collapse. But India is still a poor country [and has] the capacity to make good use of development assistance”.
Mr Mitchell, defending the about-turn, said: “India [still] has more poor people than in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa and the average income of an Indian citizen is only one third of that of a Chinese person.”
