New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS) The Centre has released over Rs 223 crore to strengthen rural local bodies in Assam as part of the 15th Finance Commission grants during the financial year 2025–26, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Friday.

This entails the second instalment of untied grants of the financial year 2024–25, amounting to Rs 219.24 crores. These funds are for all eligible 27 District Panchayats, all eligible 182 Block Panchayats and all eligible 2,192 Gram Panchayats of the state. Further, Rs 4.698 crores of the withheld portion of the first instalment of untied grants for the financial year 2024–25 has also been released to additional eligible 26 Block Panchayats.

The Union government, through the Ministries of Panchayati Raj and Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation), recommends the release of 15th Finance Commission grants to states for Panchayati Raj Institutions, which are then released by the Ministry of Finance. The allocated grants are recommended and released in two instalments in a financial year.

Untied grants may be utilised by panchayati raj institutions and rural local bodies to meet location-specific needs under the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule, excluding salaries and establishment costs. Tied grants can be used for the basic services of sanitation and maintenance of ODF (open defecation-free) status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, human excreta and faecal sludge management in particular. These grants can also be used for the supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting, and water recycling.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched initiatives such as SabhaSaar – an AI-powered tool for recording and summarising Gram Sabha proceedings, SVAMITVA for digital land mapping and property rights, eGramSwaraj for integrated online planning, accounting and monitoring. Besides, Gram Manchitra has been rolled out for geo-spatial planning. These platforms not only improve transparency and efficiency but also empower citizens to participate more actively in local governance.

–IANS

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