Gujarat's FSL gets status of national resource centre: Minister

Gandhinagar, Mar 3 (UNI) Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah today informed the Legislative Assembly that the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has been awarded the status of National Resources Centre (NRC) by the Central government for its outstanding performance in solving complex cases.

The Centre has also sent an assistance of Rs 40 lakh for the NRC to update its resources and information, Mr Shah said.

The Minister was responding to a question raised by ruling BJP MLA Govindbhai Parmar during the question hour session of the House.

He also said, during the past three years the State government had spent over Rs 8.5 crore to equip the FSL with the latest technology and techniques.

In the recently announced State budget for financial year 2006-07, the Government has made an allocation of fund for the FSL to acquire as many as six mobile laboratory units for on-the-spot testing of evidence in important cases, he said.

In reply to a supplementary question, the Minister said, the premier institution had helped the Central investigating agencies, including CBI, police and investigating agencies of various State governments and Union Territories in solving as many as 245 crimes committed by high-profile criminals.

The Minister also informed the House that his Government has also made a special allocation of fund in the next year's budget to set up another FSL in Rajkot.

During the past two years, three senior FSL officials were also sent to foreign countries for training in advanced technologies and techniques, Mr Shah added.

UNI MP GK AG LS RN1525