The Central government has allocated Rs 224.5762 crore for Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Local Bodies in Chhattisgarh as the first instalment of Untied Grants for the financial year 2025-26 under the 15th Finance Commission. These funds are designated for 11,279 eligible Gram Panchayats, 138 eligible Block Panchayats, and 26 eligible District Panchayats in the state, as stated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Jal Shakti recommend the release of 15th Finance Commission grants to states for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs), which are then disbursed by the Ministry of Finance. The grants are allocated and released in two instalments within a financial year.
The Untied Grants are intended for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) to address location-specific needs, excluding salaries and other establishment costs. Tied Grants, on the other hand, can be utilized for essential services such as sanitation, maintenance of ODF status, drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting, and water recycling.
Last week, the government also released over Rs 723 crore as grants to bolster rural local bodies in Rajasthan and Jharkhand, marking the initial disbursement of untied grants for the financial year 2025-26 under the 15th Finance Commission. The first instalment of Untied Grants for FY2025–26, totaling Rs 303.0419 crore for Rajasthan, has been disbursed for the eligible 24 district panchayats, 339 block panchayats, and 3,857 gram panchayats in the state. Additionally, Rs 145.24 crore from the withheld portion of the first and second instalments of untied grants for FY2024–25 has been released to further eligible rural local bodies in Rajasthan.
For Jharkhand, the Union government has released the first instalment of Untied Grants for FY2024–25, amounting to Rs 275.1253 crore for all eligible 24 district panchayats, 253 eligible block panchayats, and 4,342 eligible gram panchayats across the state.
