GoI releases funds for J&K panchayats under 14th FC

‘First installment expected shortly’

JAMMU: The Government of India (GoI) has finally released the much awaited funds under the 14th Finance Commission for the panchayats of Jammu and Kashmir which were pending since 2016-17, The News Now reliably learnt.

“The first installment of the 14th Finance Commission has been cleared by the Government of India (GoI) and the state government is likely to receive the funds very shortly within days,” official sources informed.

“Funds over Rs 400 crore had been lying pending since 2016-17 with the central government under the 14th Finance Commission out of which around 50% have been released by the Center”, sources informed.

In this regard, Secretary, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj, Sheetal Nanda, when contacted, confirmed that funds under 14th Finance Commission for the panchayats of Jammu and Kashmir have been released by the union government.

“The funds have been released by the central government and it is expected that the state will receive them shortly,” she said.

These mammoth funds for the panchayats (rural local bodies) of the state under the 14th Finance Commission were withheld by the central government as there were no elected panchayats (rural local bodies) in the state.

Sources informed that after completion of the panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir last year, the state government had sent requisitions to the central government requesting it to release the funds under 14th Finance Commission pending since 2016-17.

The elections for the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and panchayats were held in October and November last year but the funds for grass roots level institutions had yet to not been released by the Government of India (GoI).

It may be mentioned that the sarpanchs and panchs will be administered oath tomorrow at Gulshan Ground, Jammu.

There are 4490 panchayats in the state with equal number of sarpanchs, while the total number of panchs in the state is 35,000.

Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam, in September last year had said that in addition to the funds awarded under 14th Finance Commission, the state government is also planning additional devolution of resources to the panchayats under MGNREGA, PMAY, NRLM, ICDS, NHM and other similar flagship programmes to undertake targeted development at the grassroots level.

“As per rough estimates, each panchayat would be entitled to a cumulative allocation of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore per annum,” he had said and adding that the panchayats would be also vested with taxation powers on bus stands and mobile towers to generate additional resources locally.

Updated On 1/11/2019 11:24:16 AM