NEW DELHI, Nov 5: The Union government has announced the release of the Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants for the 2024-25 financial year, aimed at supporting rural local bodies in Haryana, Tripura, and Mizoram, as reported by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Tuesday.
In Haryana, Panchayati Raj institutions will receive untied grants totaling Rs 194.867 crore as part of the first instalment. This funding is designated for 18 eligible district panchayats, 139 block panchayats, and 5,911 gram panchayats that have met the necessary criteria for receiving funds.
Tripura is set to receive its first instalment of grants, which includes Rs 31.40 crore in untied grants and Rs 47.10 crore in tied grants, benefiting all 1,260 rural local bodies in the state.
Mizoram has also been allocated funds, comprising the second instalment of untied grants of Rs 14.20 crore and tied grants of Rs 21.30 crore for the 2022-23 financial year. These funds will support all 834 village councils, including those in Autonomous District Council areas.
The untied grants are designed for rural local bodies to address specific needs based on the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, excluding salaries and administrative expenses. Tied grants are specifically for basic sanitation services and maintaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, which includes waste management, drinking water supply, and rainwater harvesting.
The objective of the Fifteenth Finance Commission grants is to enhance rural self-governance by empowering local bodies, enabling them to become more effective, accountable, and self-sufficient, which is essential for sustainable rural development. This initiative supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’, promoting inclusive growth and participatory democracy vital for national development.
