Central Government Releases Rs 606 Crore to Maharashtra Local Bodies After Four-Year Delay

After a four-year delay caused by the absence of elected representatives, the central government has released Rs 606 crore to Maharashtra's local civic bodies. The funds, approved by the Fifteenth Finance Commission from 2022-23 onwards, were withheld as constitutional rules prevent disbursing grants to bodies under administrative rule. Following Supreme Court intervention and recent elections, the state government has begun distributing the funds, which support urban infrastructure, environmental projects, drinking water schemes, and rural development across municipal councils, zilla parishads, and panchayat samitis.