The Union Government has released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC) Untied Grants for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in the States of Goa, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Uttarakhand during FY 2025–26. The release covers allocations pertaining to different financial years and aims to further strengthen rural local governance.

For the state of Goa, ₹11.60 crores have been released as the second instalment of Untied Grants for FY 2023–24 for 2 eligible District Panchayats (DPs) and 191 eligible Gram Panchayats (GPs). Further ₹2.979 crores, representing the withheld portion of the first instalment for FY 2023–24, has been released for 2 additionally eligible DPs and 24 GPs. For Meghalaya, the Union Government has released ₹27.00 crores as the second instalment of Untied Grants for FY 2021–22, covering all three eligible Autonomous District Councils of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia.

For the state of Sikkim, ₹6.60 crores has been released as the second instalment of Untied Grants for FY 2025–26, benefiting 6 eligible DPs and 199 GPs. In addition, ₹0.165 crores, representing the withheld portion of the first instalment for FY 2025–26, has also been released to one additionally eligible District Panchayat in the State. While for the state of Uttarakhand, ₹89.4117 crores has been released as the first instalment of Untied Grants for FY 2025–26, covering 13 DPs, 95 Block Panchayats (BPs) and 7,568 eligible Gram 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 Rural Local Bodies, which is then released by the Ministry of Finance. The allocated grants are recommended and released in 2 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 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.

***

AA

(Release ID: 2230838) Visitor Counter : 198