HYDERABAD: As the process of conducting elections for rural local bodies in Telangana has been completed, the Union government is learnt to have agreed to release the pending 15th Finance Commission grants to gram panchayats in the state.
According to sources, approval has been accorded for the release of around Rs 2,500 crore in pending grants to gram panchayats in the state. Out of this, at least Rs 1,000 crore is expected to be released by the end of this month and the remaining in the coming months.
Following sustained efforts by Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka as well as senior officials of the department, the Centre has given the green signal for release of funds, sources said
Seethakka, meanwhile, issued instructions to officials to ensure immediate utilisation of the grants. Based on the minister’s instructions, the department has made the adoption of a digital process mandatory for fund utilisation. The office of the Panchayat Raj Commissioner issued a memo to all districts in this regard.
As per the guidelines of 15th Finance Commission, each gram panchayat must maintain a separate bank account to utilise these funds. This account must be registered on the Public Financial Management System portal to obtain a unique agency code. It will also be linked with the eGramSwaraj portal.
Digital signatures of the designated ‘maker’ and ‘checker’ must be registered on eGramSwaraj and approved by the respective Mandal Parishad Development Officer.
The government has recently issued a memo reiterating that the deputy sarpanch will act as the ‘maker’ and the sarpanch as the ‘checker’ at the gram panchayat level. The use of Class-III Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs), with signing and encryption facilities along with a USB token, has been made mandatory, the officials said.
As the Panchayat Raj department issued instructions that utilisation of the 15th Finance Commission funds will be permitted only after completion of all prescribed digital formalities, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Director Shruti Ojha has directed district panchayat officers to immediately procure the required digital signatures through the GeM portal, e-procurement or other tendering processes, complete the registration formalities expeditiously and ensure timely utilisation of funds.
State govt’s Sankranti gift to panchayats
Hyderabad: The state government on Tuesday released `277 crore funds to gram panchayats. The Finance department released the funds as instructed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka during a review meeting held at Praja Bhavan. During the meeting, Vikramarka extended Sankranti greetings to the sarpanches and ward members. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Finance, Sandeep Kumar Sultania and other senior officials.