GUWAHATI, Nov 12: The Centre has released the 15th Finance Commission grants for Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in Kerala and Meghalaya with Meghalaya getting Rs 27 crore for rural uplift.
The amount is the first instalment of untied grants released for the eligible Autonomous District Councils (Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia) for the Financial Year 2021–22.
These funds, recommended by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Jal Shakti, are released by the Ministry of Finance in two instalments annually.
Untied grants empower Rural Local Bodies to address location-specific needs in the 29 subjects outlined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, excluding salary and other establishment costs.
Tied grants, on the other hand, support essential services, including sanitation, maintenance of Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status, waste management, faecal sludge treatment, and ensuring access to safe drinking water, water recycling, and rainwater harvesting initiatives.
