Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Nov 13: Taking cognizance of unprecedented delay in formal approval for much awaited creation of DNA Profiling among three new significant divisions in the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for advanced scientific investigations, the Commis-sioner Home, Jammu and Kashmir, has issued necessary instructions to speed up the matter in this regard.
Principal secretary Home Suresh Kumar has directed Additional Secretary Sudershan Gupta and Financial Advisor Home to clear the pending proposal at the earliest for forwarding the same to Union Home Ministry, official sources in the State Home Department informed the Excelsior.
The directions were issued on Monday during a high level meeting of the Home Department for discussing the pending proposal of creating new divisions of DNA Profiling, Cyber Crime and Audio-Visual examination tests in the State FSL, sources added.
Notwithstanding the completion of all the formalities by the concerning departments, including FSL and Finance Department, the State Home Department has been delaying its approval for sending the proposal to Union Home Ministry, which will provide initial hundred percent funding for the creation of new divisions in FSL under Police Modernization Project, sources explained.
The three divisions will be operated from the new FSL Complex at Bemina in Srinagar and will be in addition to the existing ten divisions of the State FSL, comprising Ballistic, Biology, Serology, Chemistry, Taxology, Finger Printing, Lie Detection, Physics etc.
The introduction of new test, particularly DNA Profiling, will greatly help the Jammu Kashmir Police Department in speedy and scientific investigation of criminal cases for which the State investigating agencies so far depend on the Forensic Laboratories outside J&K and it takes months together in getting these tests done.
The State Government had set into motion the move for expansion of its Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for ensuring speedy disposal of the cases and facilitate introduction of latest tests such as DNA profiling, voice and audio-visual identification etc early this year.
The State Home Department had asked the FSL authorities to work out the modalities and submit a comprehensive detail of additional requirements and positions involving financial implications for the expansion project. The major aspect of the expansion move is creation of 99 new posts of officers and officials, who include six positions of Deputy Director, 12 Scientific Officers, 12 Assistant Scientific Officers and 24 Lab Assistants.
Following some queries and objections of the Finance Department, the FSL reduced the total number of positions, to be created for the new divisions and a fresh proposal in this regard was submitted to the Home Department.
However, even after lapse of more than four months since clearance of the Finance Department and submission of the fresh proposal by FSL, the Home Department did not take up the matter for further action till this week when Home Secretary Suresh Kumar personally intervened to speed up the things.
When contacted, Director FSL Inayat Khan claimed that the things were moving in right direction for setting up new divisions of the FSL. We are hopeful to get a formal approval of the Home Department within days while the process for procuring necessary equipments for the new tests is already underway, he added.
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