The Jammu and Kashmir government has utilised 84 percent of the Rs 592.61 crore received from the Centre under the flagship National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme.

The state had received Rs 592.61 crore from the Centre under the NRHM scheme since its inception till January 2012, while another Rs 87.12 crore was provided as state share, Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education, G A Peer said here.

"The progress of the NRHM scheme was slow in the initial three years. However, its pace programme picked up after 2008-09. Of total availability of Rs 679.73 crore, 84 per cent of the funds were utilised ending January 2012", Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education, G A Peer said here.

Of the available Rs 679.73 crore during the last seven years (2005-2006 to 2011-2012), Peer said, Rs 573.02 crore was utilised under various components of the health scheme.

The funds released under NRHM are allocated by the union Health Ministry for various activities and schemes, including infrastructure development, human resources, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Rogi Kalayan Samitis and other major schemes.

Focusing on infrastructure development, he said, Rs 267 crore (39 per cent) of the Rs 679.73 crore, was utilised for construction and upgradation of various health institutions including new District Hospitals.

About 4600 doctors/paramedics, including staff for Programme Management Units, were engaged on contractual basis under the scheme.

The NRHM scheme was started in the state in December 2005 and since then the central Health Ministry had released Rs 592.61 crore and another Rs 87.12 crore provided as State Share to the State Health Society ending January, 2012.