Union Govt Releases Finance Commission Grants for Rural Bodies in Assam

The Union government has released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) grants during the financial year 2025–26 for rural local bodies in Assam, the Panchayati Raj Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it entails the second instalment of untied grants of the financial year 2024–25 amounting to ₹ 219.24 crore. 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, ₹ 4,698 crore of withheld portion of the first instalment of the untied grant for 2024–25 has also been released to additional eligible 26 block panchayats.

The government of India, through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation), recommends the release of XV-FC grants to states for panchayati raj institutions and rural local bodies, which are then released by the Ministry of Finance.

The allocated grants are recommended and released in two instalments in a financial year. The untied grants will be utilised by panchayati raj institutions and rural local bodies for location-specific felt needs under the 29 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 sanitation and maintenance of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and faecal sludge management in particular and supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.