The Centre has allocated grants of Rs 266.8 crore for rural bodies in Kerala ahead of the three bypolls in the State under the Fifteenth Finance Commission. It also released Rs 27 crore for Meghalaya.

The Panchayati Raj Ministry has said that the second instalment of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) grants, amounting to Rs 266.8 crore during the financial year 2024-25, have been released for the rural local bodies in Kerala.

These funds are for all the 14 eligible district panchayats, 152 block panchayats and 941 gram panchayats in the southern state.

The first instalment of the untied grants for the financial year 202122, amounting to Rs 27 crore, has been released for the rural local bodies in Meghalaya. These funds are for all three eligible autonomous district councils (Khasi, Garo, Jaintia) of the northeastern state.

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

The untied grants provided to the rural local bodies are designated for location-specific needs across the 29 subjects outlined in the 11th Schedule of the Constitution, except expenses related to salaries and other establishment costs.

The tied grants are dedicated to supporting essential services, including sanitation efforts and maintenance of the open defecation-free (ODF) status, household waste management, human waste treatment, and faecal sludge management, and ensuring the supply of drinking water, along with rainwater harvesting and water-recycling initiatives.

"The Government of India is actively strengthening rural local self-governance by empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) through the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants," the ministry said.

"These funds are instrumental in making PRIs and RLBs more capable, accountable and self-reliant, thereby driving sustainable development across rural regions," it added.

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