Central Government Allocates ₹1,069 Crore for Rural Local Bodies in Rajasthan and Odisha
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New Delhi, Dec 25 (NationPress) The Central government has allocated the second installment of untied grants for rural local bodies in Rajasthan and Odisha for the fiscal year 2024-25, in line with the recommendations from the Fifteenth Finance Commission, as confirmed by the Finance Ministry on Wednesday.
A total of ₹560.63 crore has been released as the second installment of untied grants for Rajasthan, in addition to the withheld amount of the first installment for the Financial Year 2024-25, which is ₹53.41 crore for 10,105 eligible Gram Panchayats, 315 block panchayats, and 20 district panchayats in the state, according to the official statement.
In Odisha, an amount of ₹370.20 crore has also been disbursed as the second installment of the untied grant, along with the withheld first installment amounting to ₹84.51 crore for 6,794 eligible Gram Panchayats, 314 Block Panchayats, and 30 District Panchayats.
The untied grants are intended for use by Panchayati Raj Institutions to meet specific local needs, covering the 29 subjects outlined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, barring salaries and other establishment expenses.
The tied grants can be directed towards essential sanitation services and maintaining ODF (Open Defecation Free) status, which includes management and treatment of household waste, human excreta, and fecal sludge management.
They may also be utilized for providing drinking water, implementing rainwater harvesting, and facilitating water recycling.
The Central government, through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Jal Shakti (specifically the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation), recommends the disbursement of Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants to states for their rural local bodies, which are subsequently released by the Ministry of Finance.
These allocated grants are recommended and distributed in two phases during a financial year.
The grants provided by the Fifteenth Finance Commission to Panchayati Raj Institutions are pivotal in fortifying grassroots democracy.
This financial assistance is enhancing rural governance, boosting accountability, and fostering self-sufficiency in village communities, the statement concluded.
