Guwahati: The Central Government has released more than ₹223 crore to strengthen rural local bodies in Assam as part of the 15th Finance Commission grants for 2025–26, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj announced on Friday.
A major portion of the amount—₹219.24 crore—constitutes the second instalment of untied grants for 2024–25. These funds have been distributed to 27 District Panchayats, 182 Block Panchayats and 2,192 Gram Panchayats across the state. In addition, ₹4.698 crore that was earlier withheld has now been released to 26 Block Panchayats after completing eligibility requirements.
The Finance Commission grants are released in two instalments every year, based on recommendations from the Ministries of Panchayati Raj and Jal Shakti, and disbursed by the Ministry of Finance. While untied grants give local bodies the flexibility to take up need-based development activities under the 29 subjects of the Eleventh Schedule, tied grants are reserved for key services such as sanitation, maintaining open defecation-free (ODF) status, waste management, drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.
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Along with financial support, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is also driving digital reforms to make rural governance more efficient and transparent. Initiatives like SabhaSaar—an AI-based tool to record and summarise Gram Sabha proceedings—SVAMITVA for digital land mapping, eGramSwaraj for online planning and accounting, and Gram Manchitra for geo-spatial planning are helping empower citizens and improve grassroots-level administration.
