Rs 4,230.78 crore allocated to states for Covid management, Modi govt tells Rajya Sabha

Health ministry says in written response to MP’s questions that Tamil Nadu has received the highest funds, followed by Maharashtra, UP and Rajasthan.

File image of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan (left) and MoS Ashwini Kumar Choubey | Photo: ANI

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has allocated a sum of Rs 4,230.78 crore to state and union territory governments to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a written response to a series of questions asked by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva from Tamil Nadu related to Covid-19 fund allocation, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Rajya Sabha Tuesday that the money was rolled out in two phases between March and August.

The response submitted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said states and UTs are being provided required technical and financial assistance under the National Health Mission (NHM). Furthermore, under the India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package, financial help has also been sent to states and UTs based on the number of cases they reported.

Who got what?

According to data provided by the health ministry, Tamil Nadu had the highest fund allocation at Rs 511.64 crore, followed by Maharashtra (Rs 393.82 crore), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 333.71 crore), and Rajasthan (Rs 285.01 crore).

‘High focus’ states, including Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, received a total funding of Rs 1,063.02 crore.

Union territories with legislatures — Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry — received Rs 421.27 crore. Ladakh, a UT without a legislature, was also clubbed with these three.

Other UTs without legislature, including Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep, received Rs 21.2 crore.

High focus states in the Northeast received Rs 147.34 crore — Assam got Rs 118.6 crore, Arunachal Pradesh got Rs 17.11 crore and Manipur Rs 11.63 crore.

Delhi, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Maharashtra didn’t receive any funds in the second phase.

Asked about the total expenditure made by states and UTs, the health ministry said: “Public health and hospitals being a state subject, the primary responsibility of treatment of Covid-19 patients lies with the respective state governments. States/UTs are using their own resources for Covid-19 management, including for treatment of the patients, and the details are not maintained centrally.”