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 The Union government has released the 15th Finance Commission Grants during the financial year 2024–25, for the rural local bodies of Haryana, Tripura and Mizoram, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj announced on Tuesday. 

Panchayati Raj institutions of Haryana have been given untied grants amounting to Rs 194.867 crore as part of the first instalment. These funds have been disbursed for 18 eligible district panchayats, 139 eligible block panchayats and 5,911 eligible gram panchayats in the state that fulfilled the mandatory conditions for release, according to the official statement.

For the rural local bodies in Tripura, the first instalment of untied grants amounting to Rs 31.40 crore and first instalment of tied grants amounting to Rs 47.10 crore has been released. These funds are for all the 1,260 rural local bodies including (Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council), HQ; 40 block advisory committees; and 587 village committees, the statement said.

The fifteenth Finance Commission has also released funds for Panchayati Raj institutions of Mizoram, as part of the second instalment of untied grants of the financial year 2022–23, amounting to Rs.14.20 crores and second instalment of tied grants of the financial year 2022–23 amounting to Rs 21.30 crore. These funds are for all 834 village councils including Autonomous District Council areas.

The untied grants are utilised by rural local bodies for location-specific felt needs, under the 29 subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except for salaries and other establishment costs. While the tied grants can be used for the basic services of sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular. The supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling is also included in the list.

The Fifteenth Finance Commission grants aim at strengthening rural local self-governance by empowering rural local bodies. These funds help them to become more capable, accountable, and self-reliant, driving sustainable development in rural areas. Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Viswas, Sabka Prayas’, this initiative supports inclusive growth and participatory democracy, vital for development of the country, the official statement observed.

The Centre, through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation), recommends release of finance commission grants to states for rural local bodies, which are then released by the Ministry of Finance. The allocated grants are recommended and released in two instalments in a financial year.