Parliament Question: Fifteenth Finance Commission Untied Grants

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.389 ANSWERED ON 21.07.2026 FIFTEENTH FINANCE COMMISSION UNTIED GRANTS

389. SHRI KALYAN BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has sanctioned and released the fifteenth finance commission untied grants of over Five Hundred Ninety-Two Crore rupees to Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Local Bodies during June and July of 2026;

(b) if so, the details of amount released for West Bengal State; and

(c) the detail of central budget allocations and sanctions towards MGNREGA, now VB-GRAM- G scheme, pending since last four financial years and regularise the payments of beneficiaries therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) No, Sir. The award period of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) concluded on 31st March, 2026. Consequently, no grants under the XV Finance Commission for Rural Local Bodies/Panchayati Raj Institutions were sanctioned or released during June and July, 2026.

(b) Does not arise in view of (a) above.

(c) As informed by the Ministry of Rural Development, under the erstwhile Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), which remained in force up to 30.06.2026, employment was provided to every rural household whose adult members demanded unskilled manual work, in accordance with the provisions of the Act. With effect from 01.07.2026, the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025 has come into force, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.

The details of funds allocation at Budget Estimate stage, Revised Estimate stage, final allocation and fund released under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS in the last four financial years are

given below:

1(Rs. in crore) Financial Year Budget EstimateRevised Estimate Final allocationActual release 2022-23 73000.00 89400.00 90956.00 90810.00 2023-24 60000.00 86000.00 89363.00 89268.00 2024-25 86000.00 86000.00 86000.00 85839.00 2025-26 86000.00 88000.00 88000.00 87366.00 Under the Scheme, the wage payments are directly credited by the Central Government to the accounts of the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer protocol. At the beginning of each financial year, admissible pending liabilities of the previous years, if any, are duly reimbursed by the Government of India. Accordingly, all due and admissible pending wage liabilities upto FY 2025-26 have already been cleared (except in case of State of West Bengal).

In the case of West Bengal, the pending liabilities towards wage component an amount of Rs. 1457.22 crore. The admissibility of this liability is subject to verification by the Central Government. ***** 2