The Union Government has released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants during Financial Year 2025–26, for Rural Local Bodies in Assam. This entails 2^nd installment of Untied Grants of the Financial Year 2024–25 amounting to Rs.219.24 crores. These funds are for all eligible 27 District Panchayats (DPs), all eligible 182 Block Panchayats (BPs) and all eligible 2192 Gram Panchayats (GPs) of the State. Further, Rs.4.698 crores of withheld portion of 1^st instalment of Untied Grant for Financial Year 2024–25 has also been released to additionally eligible 26 Block Panchayats.

Government of India through Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation) recommends release of XV-FC Grants to States for Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Rural Local Bodies, which are then released by Ministry of Finance. The allocated Grants are recommended and released in two installments in a financial year.

The Untied Grants will be utilized by Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Rural Local Bodies for location-specific felt needs, under the Twenty-Nine (29) subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except for salaries and other establishment costs. The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of (a) sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular and (b) supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.

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AA