New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) The government on Tuesday said it has released Rs 213.9 crore as untied grants under the 15th Finance Commission for rural local bodies in Assam.

This represents the first instalment for the financial year 2025–26, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said in a statement.

“It has been released for all 2,192 eligible Gram Panchayats, 182 eligible Block Panchayats and 27 eligible Zilla Parishads across the state, said an official statement.

In November last year, the Centre 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.

This entails the second instalment of untied grants of the financial year 2024–25, amounting to Rs 219.24 crore. These funds were 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 crore 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.

--IANS

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