Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that he spoke to his “friend, President Donald Trump” and congratulated him on the success of the historic Gaza peace plan.
The Government of India (Centre ) released the first installment of Untied (Basic) Grants under the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV-FC). The aim is to strengthen grassroots governance through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. This is for the financial year 2025–26.
Centre Disbursed ₹680.71 cr to West Bengal’s Rural Local Bodies
the Union Government disbursed ₹680.71 crore** to West Bengal’s Rural Local Bodies (RLBs), covering **3,224 Gram Panchayats, 335 Block Panchayats, and 21 Zilla Parishads** across the state.
During the previous financial year (2024–25) and the current year (2025–26), the government recommended and released a total of ₹4,181.23 crore to West Bengal, including ₹2,082.13 crore as Untied Grants and ₹2,099.10 crore as Tied Grants. This underscores the Centre’s commitment to strengthening service delivery and governance at the grassroots level through Panchayati Raj Institutions.
₹410.76 crore disbursed to Andhra Pradesh
The Union Government also released the XV-FC grants to Andhra Pradesh’s Rural Local Bodies.The government has disbursed the first installment of Untied Grants, amounting to ₹410.76 crore These funds will benefit **13 District Panchayats (Zilla Praja Parishads), 650 Block Panchayats (Mandal Praja Parishads), and 13,092 eligible Gram Panchayats** out of 13,327 in the state.
Utilization of Funds
The Untied Grants will be used by PRIs to address location-specific needs. These needs fall under the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. This excludes salaries and other establishment costs.
The government specifically earmarks the Tied Grants for sanitation and maintaining ODF (Open Defecation Free) status. This covers several aspects. It includes management and treatment of household waste. It also involves the handling of human excreta and fecal sludge. Supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting, and **water recycling initiatives.
The release of these grants reflects the Union Government’s ongoing focus on empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions. It also shows their commitment to improving basic service delivery in rural areas.
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