Guwahati: The Union Government has released the 1st installment of Untied Grants for the Financial Year 2021–22 amounting to Rs 27.00 crore for the rural local bodies in Meghalaya.
These funds will be allocated to all three eligible Autonomous District Councils ( Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia) of the state.
The Centre has released also Rs 266.80 crore as the second installment of untied grants from the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) for the financial year 2024-25.
These funds will be distributed to 14 District Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, and 941 Gram Panchayats in Kerala.
The Centre, through the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti, recommends the release of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) grants to state governments for rural local bodies. The Ministry of Finance then releases these funds in two installments in a financial year.
The United Grants provided to rural local bodies can be used for various local needs specified in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. However, these funds cannot be used for expenses related to salaries or other administrative costs.
Meanwhile, the Tied Grants are allocated to support crucial services like sanitation, including maintaining ODF status, managing household waste, and treating human and fecal waste. Additionally, these grants are used to ensure access to clean drinking water, rainwater harvesting, and water recycling initiatives.
The Central government is empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) by providing financial support through the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) grants.
These funds are instrumental in making PRIs / RLBs more capable, accountable, and self-reliant, thereby driving sustainable development across rural regions.
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This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Viswas, Sabka Prayas’ by fostering inclusive growth and participatory democracy.
It reinforces Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Local Bodies as essential pillars within the nation’s development framework, contributing to the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
