16th Finance Commission Empowers Panchayats with Fiscal Autonomy and Accountability
Overall, the recommendations in the 16th Finance Commission’s report, tabled in Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2026, signal an important shift towards strengthening the fiscal and functional capacity of Rural Local Bodies (RLB). The emphasis on performance-linked grants, mobilisation of own-source revenues, and improved accountability reflects a recognition that Panchayats…