No Budget allocation for Chabahar port as US tightens Iran sanctions

India has not allocated funds for the Chabahar port project in the latest Union Budget amid fresh US sanctions on Iran. The move comes as a previous waiver nears expiry and New Delhi reviews its options on the strategic project

New Delhi: In a departure from the past, India has not allocated any funds for the Chabahar port project in its Union Budget, a move that came against the backdrop of Washington’s fresh sanctions on Iran.

In the last few years, India has been making an annual outlay of Rs 100 crore to the mega connectivity project in the Sistan-Balochistan province on Iran’s southern coast. India is a major partner in the development of the Chabahar port.

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In September last year, the US imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran but had granted India a six-month exemption from the punitive measures on the Chabahar port project.

The waiver will come to an end on April 26.

Last month, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is engaged with the US on the issue related to the Chabahar port project.

It is learnt that India was mulling various options relating to the project after the Trump administration threatened a 25 per cent additional tariff on countries doing business with Tehran.

The Chabahar port is being developed by India and Iran to boost connectivity and trade ties. Both countries are also strongly pitching for making the Chabahar port an integral part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

The INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.