Lok Sabha Question No. 1460 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-26
Subject: Review of Basic Facilities Provided to Panchayats
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Diya Kumari, Devji Mansingram Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1460

ANSWERED ON 26/07/2022

## REVIEW OF BASIC FACILITIES PROVIDED TO PANCHAYATS

## 1460.   MS. DIYA KUMARI: SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of facilities provided by the Government to Panchayats in the country;
- (b) the extent to which the objectives of Panchayats have been achieved during the last three years and the current year, area-wise; and
- (c) whether the Government has reviewed the basic facilities provided to Panchayats in order to improve the standard of people living in remote villages of the State of Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL)

(a) & (b) Panchayat, being 'Local Government', is a State subject and part of State list of Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India. Mandate for setting up of Panchayats is provided by Article 243 in Part IX of the Constitution of India. Accordingly, the Panchayats are setup and operated through the  respective  State  Panchayati  Raj  Acts.  Providing  the  necessary  facilities  to  Panchayati  Raj Institutions  (PRI)  is  the  responsibility  of  the  States,  Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  (MoPR) supplements the efforts of the States through Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and grant of Finance Commission.

Under  Fourteenth  Finance  Commission  (FFC)  award,  Rs.  2,00,292.20  Crore  had  been allocated to the Gram Panchayats (GPs) constituted under Part IX of the Constitution in 26 States for  the  award  period  2015-20  for  delivering  basic  services  including  water  supply,  sanitation including  septage  management,  sewerage  and  solid  waste  management,  storm  water  drainage, maintenance of community assets, maintenance of roads, footpaths and street-lighting, and burial and cremation grounds, and any other basic service within the functions assigned to them under relevant legislations.

Further, Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants are provided to the Rural Local Bodies  (RLBs)  in  all  the  three  tiers  of  Panchayats  and  Traditional  Bodies  in  28  States.  The allocation  of  these  grants  were  Rs.  60,750  Crores  for  the  interim  period  of  2020-21  and  Rs. 2,36,805Crores  for  the  period  2021-26.  XV  FC  Grants  have  two  components;  namely,  Basic (Untied) Grants and Tied Grants. The Basic (Untied) grants can be used for felt needs of basic facilities  under  the  29  subjects  enshrined  in  the  XI  schedule,  except  for  salaries  and  other establishment costs. The Tied Grants are to be utilised for basic facilities, specifically, for drinking water and sanitation.

Status of allocation and release of Finance Commission Grants to States for Panchayats during the last three years and the current year (as on 21.07.2022) is given in the table below:

(Rs. in Crore)

| 2019-20    | 2019-20   | 2020-21    | 2020-21   | 2021-22    | 2021-22   | 2022-23    | 2022-23   |
|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|
| Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   |
| 60687.13   | 52461.65  | 60750.00   | 60750.00  | 44901.00   | 39332.85  | 46513.00   | 5352.10   |

(c) MoPR  reviews  the  performance  of  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  (PRIs)  throughout  the country including Rajasthan from time to time through studies, review meetings, field visits, video conferencing, Information Technology applications etc.

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