Centre releases Rs 804 crore to Karnataka for sanitation works

The Centre has released Rs 804 crore to Karnataka to take up sanitation works in gram panchayats.

As per the 15th Finance Commission's recommendation, the grant was released to the state for the 2020-2021 financial year. Upon the recommendations of Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, an amount of Rs 15187.50 crore, as grants-in-aid, in respect of 2.63 lakh Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) spread in 28 States of the country has been released, said the release from the Ministry of Panchayat Raj.

The respective state governments have to release these funds to gram panchayats with in 10 working days. This money should be utilised to sanitation and maintenance of open-defecation free (ODF) status and supply of drinking water, rain water harvesting and water recycling. However if any gram panchayats already completed in this work, same money can be used for other developmental works, said the statement.

"The release of this fund to the rural local bodies signifies the most appropriate timing when the local bodies are fighting the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic situation," Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Narendra Singh Tomar said.

The 15th Finance Commission submitted its interim report for the period 2020-21 and the Centre accepted its recommendations in respect of the local bodies.

The Commission has worked out the total size of the grant to be Rs 60,750 crore for the period 2020-21 for the rural local bodies, which is the highest ever allocation made by the Finance Commission in any single year, said the statement.