The Tamil Nadu government has recently accorded administrative nod and financial sanction of ₹781 crore to improve 285 rural roads and 141 bridges under the “National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) - Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) XXIX” for 2023-24.
Of these projects, proposals for 35 bridges and 13 roads were demands made through petitions received under the Ungal Thoguthiyil Muthalamaichar scheme. A government order to this effect was issued earlier this month.
In another order, the State government sanctioned a sum of ₹843.40 crore under Operations, Maintenance and Deficit Grant Fund for 2023, in line with the recommendations of the Sixth Finance Commission.
For rural local bodies
A sum of ₹308 crore is to be allocated towards the fund for rural local bodies. A sum of ₹110 crore as first instalment is to be credited to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (Tangedco) for settlement of village panchayats’ electricity consumption charges, and ₹55 crore is to be disbursed as first instalment and credited to Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board.
Following the recommendations of the Sixth Finance Commission with respect to devolution of grant, the State government has ordered a vertical sharing ratio of 51:49 to rural and urban local bodies during 2022-23 and 2026-27. Within rural local bodies, the government has set a ratio of 55:39:6 for village panchayats, panchayat unions and district panchayats respectively.
