The government on Tuesday said it has released more than ₹284 crore for rural local bodies in three states during the financial year 2025–26. The funds were released under the 15th Finance Commission (XV FC) Untied Grants.
Mizoram has received ₹14.2761 crore for 827 eligible village councils as part of the 2023–24 grants, while Odisha has been allocated ₹240.8149 crore for 6,085 eligible Gram Panchayats and 63 eligible Block Panchayats.
Tripura has been provided ₹29.75 crore for 606 eligible Gram Panchayats, 35 eligible Block Panchayats, eight eligible Zilla Parishads, along with all 587 Village Committees and 40 eligible Block Advisory Committees of the state.
The government, through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti, recommends release of XV-FC grants to states for rural local bodies (RLBs)/ Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
These allocated grants are recommended and released in two instalments in a financial year.
The Untied Grants will be utilised for location-specific felt needs, except for salaries and other establishment costs.
The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, human excreta and faecal sludge management in particular and supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
In March, the Centre released ₹436 crore as the second instalment of the 15th Finance Commission grants for rural local bodies in Karnataka and Tripura for the financial year 2024–25, to strengthen local governance and drive rural transformation.
(IANS)
