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Assam's Rural Boost: Centre Releases Rs 223 Crore for Local Bodies

The Centre has released significant funding to strengthen rural governance in Assam. This financial support will empower local bodies to address community-specific development needs. The grants can be utilized for essential services like sanitation and drinking water supply. This initiative represents a major step toward enhancing rural infrastructure and citizen participation in local governance.

Key Points: Centre Releases Rs 223 Crore for Assam Rural Local Bodies

  • Second instalment of Rs 219.24 crore covers all eligible district, block and gram panchayats
  • Funds support 29 development subjects excluding salaries and establishment costs
  • Additional Rs 4.7 crore released for 26 previously ineligible block panchayats
  • Grants can be used for sanitation, drinking water supply and waste management projects
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Centre releases over Rs 223 crore to strengthen rural local bodies in Assam

Union government disburses Rs 223 crore to strengthen Assam's rural governance through Panchayati Raj institutions for sanitation, drinking water, and local development projects.

"Untied grants may be utilised by panchayati raj institutions to meet location-specific needs under the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule - Ministry of Panchayati Raj"

New Delhi, Nov 14

The Centre has released over Rs 223 crore to strengthen rural local bodies in Assam as part of the 15th Finance Commission grants during the financial year 2025–26, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Friday.

This entails the second instalment of untied grants of the financial year 2024-25, amounting to Rs 219.24 crores. These funds are for all eligible 27 District Panchayats, all eligible 182 Block Panchayats and all eligible 2,192 Gram Panchayats of the state. Further, Rs 4.698 crores of the withheld portion of the first instalment of untied grants for the financial year 2024-25 has also been released to additional eligible 26 Block Panchayats.

The Union government, through the Ministries of Panchayati Raj and Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation), recommends the release of 15th Finance Commission grants to states for Panchayati Raj Institutions, which are then released by the Ministry of Finance. The allocated grants are recommended and released in two instalments in a financial year.

Untied grants may be utilised by panchayati raj institutions and rural local bodies to meet location-specific needs under the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule, excluding salaries and establishment costs. Tied grants can be used for the basic services of sanitation and maintenance of ODF (open defecation-free) status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, human excreta and faecal sludge management in particular. These grants can also be used for the supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting, and water recycling.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched initiatives such as SabhaSaar - an AI-powered tool for recording and summarising Gram Sabha proceedings, SVAMITVA for digital land mapping and property rights, eGramSwaraj for integrated online planning, accounting and monitoring. Besides, Gram Manchitra has been rolled out for geo-spatial planning. These platforms not only improve transparency and efficiency but also empower citizens to participate more actively in local governance.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good initiative but I'm concerned about implementation. In my village, previous funds were misused by local officials. Need strong monitoring mechanisms to ensure this actually benefits people.
A
Aditya G
The tech initiatives like SabhaSaar and eGramSwaraj are impressive! Digital tools can bring transparency to rural governance. Hope Assam panchayats adopt these quickly. 🇮🇳
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Sarah B
While the amount seems substantial, when divided among 2,400+ panchayats, it's about ₹9 lakh per panchayat. Hope this is supplemented with state funds for meaningful impact.
M
Meera T
As someone from Assam, I appreciate this development focus. Rural infrastructure needs urgent attention. The untied grants allowing local decision-making is the right approach. Jai Hind!
R
Robert G
The emphasis on ODF status maintenance and waste management is crucial for public health. Hope this leads to sustainable sanitation solutions in Assam's villages.

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