In a step which is expected to provide some relief to the cash- strapped 108- emergency ambulance service, the State Government has released a sum of Rs 68.61 lakh. The amount has been released to the Government by the National Health Mission (NHM). Notably, in the absence of the required budgetary support, the emergency ambulance service in Uttarakhand has remained in dire straits. The service requires a monthly budget of Rs two crore to operate its fleet of 141 ambulances and also to pay salaries of the staff. However, non- release of the budget has resulted in their salaries remaining unpaid for the past three months. It is learnt that more than 20 ambulances of the service are now off the road thanks to lack of maintenance and other requirement. Things have come to such a grim pass for the service that the petrol pump operators are reluctant to supply them due to the non-clearance of their past dues. The Mission Director NHM, Yugal Kishore Pant said that an instalment of Rs 68.61 lakh has been released on Monday.