India, May 21 -- Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India says the Centre collected Rs.96,627 crore as health cess between 2018-19 and 2024-25.

The group says only Rs 46,554 crore was transferred to public accounts, leaving Rs 50,072 crore, or about 52%, outside the designated fund.

The CAG report says Rs 6,646 crore of the health cess collected in 2024-25 was not transferred to the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi.

JSAI has demanded that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explain why separate accounting heads were not created until March 2021 despite repeated CAG objections.

The group says the money could have helped build hospitals, upgrade health centres and recruit health workers in rural, tribal and underserved areas.

A recently releas...