Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain seeks release of grants for Karnataka's Gram Panchayats

New Delhi: Congress Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain on Wednesday urged the Centre to release Rs 10,175 crore due to Karnataka’s Gram Panchayats under the 15th Finance Commission and other schemes.

During his special mention in the Upper House, Hussain said that Panchayati Raj institutions in the State are facing a severe financial crisis due to the non-release of central funds under the 15th Finance Commission.

"Over Rs 2,133 crore meant for nearly 6,000 Gram Panchayats in Karnataka is still pending. Even the first instalment of Rs 1,092 crore has not been released, though the State has fulfilled all procedural requirements. The continued withholding of funds is both unjustified and detrimental to rural governance," he said.

Due to the non-release of funds, panchayats are unable to pay salaries to essential staff, including sanitation workers and local administrative personnel. Routine maintenance of drinking water systems, drainage, sanitation, and street lighting has been severely disrupted. Several panchayats have no operational funds left in their accounts to meet even basic expenses, " he added.

The 15th Finance Commission was specifically tasked with strengthening local bodies and ensuring that Gram Panchayats have adequate resources to deliver essential services.

Hussain also pointed out that Rs 1,066 crore is due to Karnataka under the MGNREGA scheme and Rs 6,976 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme.