New Delhi: A total of Rs. 8, 453.92 crores has been awarded by the Centre as a health sector grant for rural and urban local bodies in 19 states. According to a statement made by the finance ministry on Saturday, the department of spending has released these sanctions in accordance with the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission. The remaining nine states will get health grants if their records are submitted by the ministry of health and family welfare, according to the statement.

The Commission recommended health grants of Rs.70, 051 crores, with Rs.43,928 crore going to rural local governments and Rs.26,123 crore allotted to urban local governments. These sanctions are intended to build health systems and close important gaps in basic health care. The Commission has also introduced immediate actions that will improve primary health infrastructure and facilities in both rural and urban areas, with grants set aside for each.

The Fifteenth Finance Commission (FC-XV) projected a total grant of Rs 4,27,911 crore to local governments in its report for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26. The 19 states are Andhra Pradesh (Rs 488.1527 cr), Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 46.944 cr), Assam (Rs 272.2509 cr), Bihar (Rs 1116.3054 cr), Chhattisgarh (Rs 338.7944 cr), Himachal Pradesh (Rs 98.0099 cr), Jharkhand (Rs 444.3983 cr), Karnataka (Rs 551.53), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 922.7992), Maharashtra (Rs 778.0069 cr), Manipur (Rs 42.8771), Mizoram (Rs 31.19 cr), Odisha (Rs 461.7673 cr), Punjab (Rs 399.6558 cr), Rajasthan (Rs 656.171 cr), Sikkim (Rs 20.978 cr), Tamil Nadu (Rs 805.928 cr), Uttarakhand (Rs 150.0965 cr), and West Bengal (Rs 828.0694 cr).