Centre releases XV Finance Commission grants: ₹410.76 crore to Andhra PRIs, ₹680.71 crore and ₹151 crore health grant to West Bengal
PIB reported on 9 October 2025 that the Centre released first instalments of XV Finance Commission untied grants for 2025–26 — ₹410.76 crore to Andhra Pradesh's rural local bodies and ₹680.71 crore to West Bengal's — plus a ₹151 crore health grant to West Bengal.
Summary
PIB reported on 9 October 2025 that the Union Government released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) grants to rural local bodies. Andhra Pradesh received ₹410.76 crore as the first instalment of 2025–26 untied grants, benefiting all 13 district panchayats, 650 eligible block panchayats and 13,092 eligible of 13,327 gram panchayats. West Bengal received ₹680.71 crore as the first instalment of 2025–26 untied grants, released on 6 October 2025 for 3,224 gram panchayats, 335 block panchayats and 21 zilla parishads, plus a ₹151 crore XV FC health sector grant for diagnostic infrastructure at rural sub-centres. Untied grants can be used for local needs under the 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except salaries and establishment costs.
Key facts
- Andhra Pradesh
- ₹410.76 crore — 1st instalment untied, 2025–26; 13,092 of 13,327 GPs
- West Bengal
- ₹680.71 crore — 1st instalment untied, released 6 Oct 2025
- WB health grant
- ₹151 crore for rural sub-centre diagnostics
- Use of untied grants
- 29 subjects of the Eleventh Schedule; not salaries/establishment
Practice MCQs 2 questions
How much did Andhra Pradesh's rural local bodies receive as the first instalment of XV Finance Commission untied grants for 2025–26?
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Correct answer: B — ₹410.76 crore
PIB: the first instalment of untied grants for Andhra Pradesh, amounting to ₹410.76 crore, has been disbursed; ₹680.71 crore went to West Bengal.
Consider the following statements about XV Finance Commission grants released in October 2025: 1. Untied grants may be used by rural local bodies to pay salaries and establishment costs. 2. The Andhra Pradesh instalment benefits all 13,327 gram panchayats of the state. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — Neither 1 nor 2
Neither is correct. PIB: untied grants are for location-specific needs under the 29 Eleventh Schedule subjects, except salaries and establishment costs; the Andhra instalment benefits 13,092 eligible gram panchayats out of 13,327.