Srinagar, June 26: Strongly refuting news published in an English daily newspaper regarding absence of a full-fledged Forensics Narcotics Division in J&K Forensic Science Laboratories in Jammu and Srinagar besides inadequate availability of manpower and other facilities, the Home department has termed the reporting as baseless and manipulated.
As per a communiqué issued here today by the department, the organizational structure of FSL is the replica of other Forensic Science laboratories of the country which has been customized to meet the local needs, on the advice of the consultant, engaged by the Government, for this purpose. The nomenclature of the division and the job to be performed by each of the divisions has been decided by Forensic Experts only.
Besides, a full-fledged Narcotic Division comprising Assistant Scientific Officer, assisted by supporting officials including Lab Assistant and Lab attendant is operational in both Jammu as well as Kashmir division. This division functions under the overall control of Deputy Director, Narcotics / Chemical, the setup approved vide government order number 1075-Home of 2019 dated 24-10-2019, both for Jammu as well as Kashmir province.
It was further clarified that the department has been facing a manpower shortage because of retirements and couldn’t afford to close down the specialties. Hence re-engagement of retired Deputy Director, Narcotics/Chemical was made in divisional office of FSL, Jammu for one year, within which it is expected that direct recruitment for the available vacancies shall take place; the process of recruitment is at different stages. The re-engagement is a transient measure and to ensure the functionality of C&T Division which would have been closed down but for the re-engagement of Pawan Abrol. Since his engagement in April this year, 571 cases including 250 NDPS cases stand disposed of by the expert. Besides, a proposal to engage FACT qualified candidates is under active consideration of the government.
Regarding GCMS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrograph), the machine is duly installed and functional in contradiction to the allegations made in the news item and is being used as and when required.
Further, the news regarding the death of person using GCMS is incorrect as the said deceased employee used to operate High Pressure Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and not GCMS.
Regarding employing old practices in analysis of drugs, the department said that the techniques being employed in this division are time tested and are in use in other FSLs of the country. The techniques are acknowledged in the Court of Law.