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The Union Government released more than Rs 723 crores as grants to help rural local bodies in Rajasthan and Jharkhand. This money was given under the Fifteenth Finance Commission to make village-level institutions stronger, according to a Ministry of Panchayati Raj press release.
The government sent these funds to help local groups carry out important work in their areas. In Rajasthan, a total of Rs 303.0419 crores was released as the first part of the money for the financial year 2025-26. This specific amount was meant for 24 district panchayats, 339 block panchayats, and 3,857 gram panchayats. In addition to this, the government also gave Rs 145.24 crores to Rajasthan. This was part of the money that was held back earlier from the first and second instalments of the year 2024-25. It was given to those rural groups that met the rules to receive it. For the state of Jharkhand, the government released Rs 275.1253 crores. This was the first part of the grant for the financial year 2024-25. This money was distributed among all 24 district panchayats in the state. It also helped 253 block panchayats and 4,342 gram panchayats across Jharkhand. "The Government of India, through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation), recommends the release of XV-FC grants to States for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) / Rural Local Bodies (RLBs), which are then released by the Ministry of Finance. The allocated grants are recommended and released in 2 instalments in a financial year," the release said. The funds were divided into two main types. The first type is called "Untied Grants". Local groups used this money for the specific needs of their own villages. They could choose to work on any of the 29 subjects listed in the rules of the Constitution. However, the government made it clear that this money could not be used to pay salaries or other office expenses. The second type is called "Tied Grants". This money was saved for very important basic services. It was used to keep villages clean and maintain their status as free from open toilets. This included taking care of household waste and human waste. The money also helped in providing clean drinking water, saving rainwater, and recycling used water. (ANI)
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