New Delhi, March 3 (IANS) The government on Monday released grants worth Rs 699 crore for rural local bodies in West Bengal under the 15th Finance Commission.
This is the second installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs 694.4446 crore and withheld portion of 1st installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs 4.9323 crore, according to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
These funds are for the 21 eligible District Panchayats, 326 eligible Block Panchayats and 3,220 eligible Gram Panchayats in the state.
The Untied Grants will be utilised by Panchayati Raj Institutions/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) for location-specific felt needs.
The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of sanitation and maintenance of the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular and supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
This financial support helps in improving rural local governance, enhancing accountability, and promoting self-reliance in villages in India.
Last month, the Centre released grants to the tune of Rs 1,086.06 crore under the 15th Finance Commission to the rural local bodies of Bihar, Haryana and Sikkim for financial year 2024–25.
Bihar was given the 2nd instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs 821.80 crore and withheld portion of 1st instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.47.9339 crore.
Rural local bodies in Haryana received the 2nd instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.202.47 crore and the withheld portion of the 1st instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.7.5993 crore. These funds are for the 18 eligible District Panchayats, 142 eligible Block Panchayats and 6,195 eligible Gram Panchayats.
Sikkim received the 2nd instalment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs 6.26 crore during Financial Year 2024–25. These funds are for the 4 eligible District Panchayats and 186 eligible Gram Panchayats which fulfilled the mandatory conditions for release.
–IANS
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