New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- The 16th Finance Commission (FC) has more than doubled the grant for urban local bodies to Rs.3,56,257 crore for 2026-31 from Rs.1,55,000 crore for 2021-2026. These funds will include Rs.56,100 crore for a comprehensive wastewater management system in cities with a population between 1 million and 4 million. Another Rs.10,000 crore is for incentivising rural to urban transitions for mergers of peri urban villages into adjoining larger urban local bodies (ULBs) with existing population not less than one lakh. The recommendations were tabled in Parliament on Sunday alongside the Budget. The five-year term of the panel headed by economist and former vice-chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya begins on April 1. The funds...