BHUBANESWAR: Centre has released Rs 186.58 crore, the first instalment of the basic grant for urban local bodies (ULBs) for 2019-20, to the State Government as per the recommendations of the Fourteenth Finance Commission. Official sources said the grant will be helpful in executing development works and basic service delivery by the ULBs in Odisha.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for release of first installment of the basic grant.
A delegation of BJD MPs led by Prasanna Acharya had requested Sitharaman on March 12 to release the pending basic and performance grants of Rs 700 crore for the 114 ULBs arising out of Fourteenth Finance Commission recommendations immediately as the matter is pending for the last four years now. She had assured to immediately look into it matter.
However, the State unit of BJP had criticised the Government for demanding more grants for the ULBs when utilisation certificates have not been submitted for funds received earlier. Besides, BJP maintained that elections have not been held to many of the urban bodies.
The State Government is claiming that the total grant to the urban bodies by the Fourteenth Finance Commission was Rs 1,772 crore, out of which Rs 1,065 crore has already been released and it is yet to receive Rs 707 crore balance grants.