By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Uttarakhand has received Rs 91.31 crore as special grant from the centre for strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs).
The centre has sanctioned and released the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Tied and Untied Grants during FY 2025–26 for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in Telangana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Mizoram & Meghalaya.
These grants will further empower grassroots governance and enable need-based local development in PRIs.
For the state of Telangana, Rs.247.94 crore has been released as the 1st installment of untied grants of the financial year 2025-26. These funds are for eligible 12600 Gram Panchayats (GPs) of the State. Similarly, for the state of Uttarakhand, Rs. 91.31 crore has been released as 2nd installment of untied grants of the financial year 2025-26, benefiting all 13 District Panchayats (DPs), 95 Block Panchayats (BPs) and eligible 7784 GPs. Further, Rs.1.84 crores of withheld portion of 1st instalment of untied grants for FY 2025-26 has also been released to additionally eligible 216 GPs.
For Rajasthan, Rs.315.61 crore has been released as 2nd installment of untied grants of the financial year 2025-2026. These funds are for all 33 DPs, all 352 BPs and eligible 3857 GPs of the State. Further, Rs.12.57 crores of withheld portion of 1st instalment of untied grants for FY 2025-26 has also been released to additionally eligible 9 Zilla Panchayats and 13 BPs. Similarly, Meghalaya has received Rs. 27.00 crore as 2nd installment of untied grants of the financial year 2021-22. These funds are for all 3 eligible Autonomous District Councils (Khasi, Garo, Jaintia) of the State. Further, the Union Government has released 2nd installment of tied grants to Meghalaya amounting to Rs.22.20 crore. These funds are for all 816 eligible Village Councils including Autonomous District Council areas of the State.
For the State of Maharashtra, the Union Government has released Rs. 109.06 crore each as the withheld portions of the 1st and 2nd instalments of XV Finance Commission (XV FC) Tied Grants for FY 2025–26, benefiting an additional 12 eligible DPs and 125 BPs. In addition, Maharashtra has also received Rs. 116.97 crore as the withheld portion of the 1st instalment of XV FC Tied Grants for FY 2024–25, covering an additional 12 DPs, 125 BPs and 27 GPs. While Rs. 329.21 crore has been released as the withheld portion of the 2nd instalment of Tied Grants for FY 2024–25 to an additional 12 DPs, 125 BPs and 5,249 GPs. Further, Rs. 72.70 crore each has been released as the withheld portions of the 1st and 2nd instalments of XV FC Untied Grants for FY 2025–26, benefiting the same set of 12 DPs and 125 BPs.
Government of India through Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation) recommends release of XV-FC grants to States for Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Rural Local Bodies which is then released by Ministry of Finance. The allocated grants are recommended and released in 2 installments in a financial year. The Untied Grants will be utilized by Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Rural Local Bodies for location-specific felt needs, under the twenty-nine subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except for salaries and other establishment costs. The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of (a) sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular and (b) supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.