New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) The Central government on Wednesday released Rs 224.5762 crore for Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Local Bodies in Chhattisgarh as the first instalment of Untied Grants of the financial year 2025-26 under the 15th Finance Commission.

These funds are meant for 11,279 eligible Gram Panchayats, 138 eligible Block Panchayats and 26 eligible District Panchayats of the State, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said.

The government, through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Jal Shakti, recommends the release of 15th Finance Commission grants to states for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs), which is then released by the Ministry of Finance.

The allocated grants are recommended and released in two instalments in a financial year.

The Untied Grants will be utilised by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) for location-specific felt needs, except for salaries and other establishment costs.

The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of sanitation and maintenance of ODF status and supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting, and water recycling.

Last week, the government released over Rs 723 crore as grants to strengthen the rural local bodies in Rajasthan and Jharkhand as part of the first instalment of untied grants for the financial year 2025-26 under the 15th Finance Commission.

The first instalment of Untied Grants for FY2025–26, amounting to Rs 303.0419 crore for Rajasthan, has been released for the eligible 24 district panchayats, 339 block panchayats, and 3,857 gram panchayats of the state. Further, Rs 145.24 crore of the withheld portion of the first and second instalments of untied grants for FY2024–25 has also been released to additionally eligible rural local bodies in Rajasthan.

In the case of Jharkhand, the Union government has released the first instalment of Untied Grants for FY 2024–25 amounting to Rs 275.1253 crore for all eligible 24 district panchayats, 253 eligible block panchayats, and 4,342 eligible gram panchayats across the state.

–IANS

na/vd