A daylong Orientation Workshop on the 16th Finance Commission Grants for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the North Eastern States was organised at Niti Vihar in Itanagar on Wednesday.
The workshop was attended by Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein as chief guest. Prior to his address, the programme commenced with the inaugural session addressed by Arunachal Pradesh Urban Affairs Minister Balo Raja.
The keynote address was delivered by Gopal Prasad, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, who highlighted the importance of strengthening urban local governance, improving financial management and ensuring effective utilisation of Finance Commission grants for sustainable urban development.
A technical presentation on “Operationalising XVI Finance Commission Grants” was delivered, focusing on the operational framework, guidelines for release of grants, implementation requirements and key aspects of utilising the grants by Urban Local Bodies.
This was followed by a live demonstration of the city finance portal, providing participants with practical insights into the portal and its role in promoting transparency, accountability and improved municipal financial management.
The workshop also included an interactive question-and-answer session, during which participants raised queries and sought operational clarifications on various aspects of the implementation of the Sixteenth Finance Commission grants.
The discussions provided an opportunity for municipal officials to better understand the guidelines, procedures and requirements for effective implementation at the Urban Local Body level.
