Govt releases over Rs 151 cr health sector grant to boost rural diagnostic infra in West Bengal

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) The Union government has released the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) health sector grant amounting to over Rs 151 crore for improving rural diagnostic infrastructure in West Bengal, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said on Thursday.

The grant is under the component “Support for Diagnostic Infrastructure to the Primary Healthcare Facilities for the Sub-Centres (for Rural)” for the year 2024-25.

“This grant supports the healthy panchayat vision under localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), promoting health and well-being for all through local governance. It also helps to strengthen the goal of “Viksit Bharat @2047 through Healthy Panchayats,” fostering resilient and sustainable rural communities,” the Ministry said.

“The XV Finance Commission (XV FC) recommended health sector grant is intended to be utilised to fully equip primary healthcare facilities so that they can provide the necessary diagnostic services in rural areas,” it added.

The amount released will help strengthen the diagnostic infrastructure at the grassroots level, benefitting citizens in villages where Panchayati Raj Institutions are functioning.

The XV FC Health Sector Grants are released by the Ministry of Finance on the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the ministry noted that the states must ensure that it does not get duplicated with other schemes.

“States are required to ensure that the funds are utilised strictly as per the operational and technical guidelines issued by the Government of India, and that there is no duplication with other schemes such as the National Health Mission (NHM) or the Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY),” the Ministry said.

Under the XV FC, the Centre also released Rs 680.71 crore as the first instalment of united (basic) grants for rural local bodies (RLBs)/Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) of West Bengal for the financial year 2025-26, the Ministry said.

The release was for 3,224 gram panchayats, 335 block panchayats, and 21 zilla parishads across the state, it added.

--IANS

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