PANAJI
The Union government has released Rs 12.40 crore as the first instalment of Fifteenth Finance Commission (XVFC) untied grants for the financial year 2024–25 to strengthen panchayati raj institutions in Goa.
According to an official statement, the funds cover two eligible District Panchayats and all 191 eligible Gram Panchayats in the State. The grants are intended to support local development, sanitation, and water services at the grassroots level.
This release follows last month’s disbursal of Rs 18.61 crore, which had been withheld under the Commission’s grants for FY 2023–24, against a total allocation of Rs 58 crore for that year.
Data from the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj shows that during the XVFC period (2020–2026), Goa has so far received approximately Rs 221 crore out of the total sanctioned allocation of Rs 368 crore.
For FY 2024–25, the Centre has allocated Rs 62 crore, of which the first tranche of Rs 12.40 crore has now been released. Additionally, an allocation of Rs 61 crore has been earmarked for the ongoing financial year.
The statement clarified that untied grants can be used by Panchayati Raj Institutions and rural local bodies to address location-specific needs, while tied grants are earmarked for essential services such as sanitation, maintaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, solid and liquid waste management, and drinking water supply, including rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
