Instructions issued for 20-21 grant to MP’s urban bodies

The Tied Grant will be distributed to the cities with a population more than one million on the basis of the performance standard set by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.

The basic grant issued from the 15th Finance Commission and the specified grant amount will not be used in any situation for salary allowances and establishment expenses.

Principal Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Nitesh Vyas has issued instructions to all the urban bodies and all the Chief Executive Officer Cantonment Council regarding the utilization of the grant issued by the 15th Finance Commission to the urban bodies. These instructions have been issued for the financial year 2020-21.Cities with a population of more than one million, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior will get grants to improve the ambient air quality.

The fifty percent amount of the approved grant will be given for measures related to improvement and fifty percent on the basis of performance. The first installment can be used for measures to improve air quality.

The second installment will be distributed in January 2021 on the basis of the results of year-by-year improvement in air quality. Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior will use the grant amount to improve water and solid waste management and to achieve star ranking. The fifty percent amount will be given as primary grant and fifty percent amount will be given as specified grant to the cities with a population less than one million.

Work such as drinking water, sewerage and drainage construction, road construction and infrastructural development work, construction of infrastructure in slums, solid waste management, e-governance and fire fighting services will have to be done in order of priority by the amount of primary grant.

 In these cities, solid waste management, drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting and water recycling will be carried out to maintain sanitation and open defecation free status with specified amount of grant.