Centre releases Rs 387 crore in third installment to gram panchayats in Telangana

Hyderabad: The central govt on Friday released 387 crore as the third tranche of funds under the 15th Finance Commission to gram panchayats in Telangana. With this, the state has received a total of 1,034 crore so far under the Finance Commission grants. Officials said the funds are being released in a phased manner following the completion of the gram panchayat elections and the elected bodies assuming office.The funds are expected to boost rural development programmes across Telangana and will be utilised for village infrastructure development, sanitation management, drinking water supply, installation of street lights and repairs of internal roads. Officials added that another 2,000 crore in grants is due to Telangana and is expected to be released in phases.Panchayat raj and rural development minister D Anasuya alias Seethakka urged the Centre to release the pending funds at the earliest, stating that an uninterrupted flow of funds is essential for the continued progress of rural development works. The minister also directed officials to ensure effective utilisation of the funds released so far, prioritising the clearance of pending bills and expediting essential infrastructure works in villages, mainly on the sanitation front.