Bhubaneswar: On Tuesday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved Rs 150.05 crore to modernise the State Forensic Services Organisation to strengthen the criminal justice system. This scheme will be known as the ‘Modernisation of Forensic Science Services Organisation, Odisha,’ and will be implemented over a period of 5 years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
The scheme is a part of the 5T initiative. It has some specific objectives, including expeditious disposal of cases, strengthening of state, regional, and district forensic laboratories, improvement of scientific investigation, use of modern technology, and strengthening of prosecution to enhance conviction rate.
The total amount has various components for expenditure including Rs 20 crore for new Regional Forensic Laboratory Buildings at Balasore and Sambalpur, Rs 125.25 crore for equipment and Rs 3.50 crore for Mobile Forensic Vans, and some other expenditures.
