Centre Releases XV Finance Commission Grants To Mizoram Village Councils

13 Mar 2026 CW Team

The Union Government has released Rs 148 million (Rs 148 mn) as grants from the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) for the financial year 2025–26 to Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in Mizoram. This release constitutes the first instalment of untied grants for the year and will benefit all eligible 816 Village Councils in the State. The allocation is intended to provide flexible resources to address local priorities within the constitutional framework.

The grants were recommended by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj together with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and were released by the Ministry of Finance. Allocations under the XV FC are released in two instalments in a financial year and are earmarked as untied and tied components to address broad and specific needs. The untied component permits councils to plan for location specific projects, while the tied component focuses on basic services.

The untied grants may be utilised by RLBs for location specific felt needs under the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, with the exception of salaries and other establishment costs. The tied grants are designated for basic services such as sanitation and maintenance of open defecation free status, including management and treatment of household waste and human excreta and faecal sludge management. They also cover supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling projects that fall within local responsibility.

The release to all eligible Village Councils is expected to strengthen decentralised delivery of services and reinforce local planning and maintenance capacity. Councils are required to utilise these funds in accordance with the prescribed guidelines and priorities set out by the respective ministries. The infusion of funds in Mizoram reflects the central government's continued support for rural governance and service delivery at the grass roots.

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..