Kathmandu. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Mahavir Pun has said that some words and provisions used in the National Forensic Science Laboratory (Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2081 should be reconsidered.
Speaking in the discussion on the bill at the meeting of the education, health and information technology committee under the House of Representatives on Thursday, Minister Pun emphasized that the establishment, operation and legal arrangement of the laboratory branch should be made practical. He said that well-equipped laboratory branches should be established in at least two provinces in the current financial year.
According to him, it is necessary to establish a branch with a strong infrastructure at the provincial level, but due to the fact that having a system of mandatory consultation with the local level may cause unnecessary disputes, care should be taken in this regard.
Minister Pun said that the word ‘reliable’ used in the bill was not clear enough as the laboratory report would be final and legally valid.
He said, “What to do if no one believes the report, since the report given by the laboratory is the final legal evidence, it is necessary to make it legally valid and final rather than just ‘making it reliable’,” he said.
He also questioned the use of the word ‘autonomous’. He questioned the justification of calling the National Forensic Science Laboratory, which is operated from the government budget, autonomous, presenting an example of how autonomous institutions are mentioned in the law of Nepal’s universities, as they are financially dependent on the government.
If the entire budget of the organization is provided by the government, it cannot be called fully autonomous. In such a situation, the provision of ‘self-governing’ may be sufficient,” he said.
Minister Pun mentioned that only if the forensic laboratory is operated by the private sector with its own investment, it can be called autonomous in the real sense.
सरकारी स्रोतबाट सञ्चालन हुने संस्थामा स्वायत्त शब्द राख्दा कानुनी र व्यवहारिक रूपमा भ्रम सिर्जना हुनसक्ने उनको तर्क थियो । विधेयकमा प्रचलित कानुनी भाषालाई आवश्यक परिमार्जन गर्दै स्पष्ट, व्यवहारिक र कार्यान्वयनयोग्य बनाउनुपर्ने सुझाव दिँदै मन्त्री पुनले स्वायत्त शब्द राख्ने हो भने त्यसलाई छुट्टै दफामा थप्नुभन्दा संस्थाको परिचयमै स्पष्ट रूपमा उल्लेख गर्न सकिने धारणा पनि व्यक्त गरे।