How can technical issues which are the exclusive domain of professionals and experts be manned by non-professionals is hard to comprehend and that also in a scenario where an organisation like Forensic Science Laboratory is sought to be re-organised and improvement in functioning strived for. Such a stance is not only contradictory but bound to boomerang into utter non-performance and idling of the infrastructure of whatever nature provided. . It is strange and totally unjustified that the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory , Jammu and Kashmir is to engage Masters of the School Education Department for running the laboratory and manning key positions . Had such a practice been in vogue anywhere in the country and produced some positive gains and results , it could have been inferred that such an arrangement could have been given a trial in the twin Laboratories in Jammu and Kashmir too. How can the cockpit of a plane be efficiently manned by a train driver without proper training and expertise, holds good in the instant case .
Like this, either the importance or the critical role played by the Forensic Laboratory is underestimated or thought of being purely of fiduciary nature and ignoring the contribution coming from the Laboratory in helping and supporting criminal justice system by solving and unfolding vital clues of crime to help prosecution in getting the culprits convicted.Through a recent advertisement , the Directorate has invited applications from in-service Masters of the School Education Department for filling up 28 posts of Assistant Scientific Officers in both Jammu and Srinagar Labs on deputation basis for two years. Excepting saving on the cost of such engagement of the Masters as their lien shall continue to be with the parent department , there seems no justification for such a decision and when it was going to least benefit the working of the labs which are reeling under the shortage of staff , mainly technical and experts in the concerned fields and subjects. We also know that in the absence of the required technical staff , the working of the Labs is largely affected and curiously, there are no experts posted in these labs who are qualified in handling issues like ballistics explosives, finger prints etc.The situation was going to be virtually unmanageable with whatever number of experts available presently attaining superannuation in the coming months. If to meet that eventuality , Masters are decided to be appointed, the fate of the Labs can well be imagined. On the contrary, how things and solutions do appear on papers and in files only but not be implemented can be seen by the decision of the Government taken last year in October when not only reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir Forensic Science Laboratory was approved but a decision to creation of additional 88 posts of different categories too was taken to tide over the manpower shortage which was nothing less than a big hindrance in the satisfactory performance of the Labs . Jammu and Kashmir being a sensitive and border UT of the country where crimes especially sponsored from across the border are not only having been taking place intermittently but the extent and the variety thereof too being such where the role of the Forensic Laboratory was of vital nature.
It is no prudence on the part of the Government nor in the interests of criminal justice system to let the role of Forensic Science Laboratory be relegated to that of a ruse if not to the background in absolute terms and it is surprising that the decision taken last year in October is not implemented and applications not invited from the eligible candidates for the 88 posts already sanctioned and instead some adhoc arrangements are sought to be made and that too of those who do not know how to handle the most critical and specialised field which the Forensic Laboratory is supposed to deal in . Looking to all these facts of the matter, the UT Government should take a suitable decision and accordingly plan to properly reorganise, revamp and rejuvenate Forensic Science Laboratory in Jammu and Srinagar.
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