Jamshedpur, March 28: The state criminal investigation department will soon have its own fingerprint bureaus across the state.

As of now fingerprints are being examined outside the state as part of investigations.

Fingerprint bureaus would be set up under various police stations in Ranchi, Dumka, Kolhan, Hazaribagh and Bokaro.

After the bureaus were set up, investigations would be done scientifically to solve critical cases.

Additional director-general of police (CID) G.B. Mohapatra said a proposal to establish fingerprint bureaus has been sent to the home ministry.

“The fingerprint bureau has been a long-pending necessity. The CID has sent a proposal for fingerprint bureas and it is likely to be placed before the cabinet committee for its consent,” said the ADG (CID).

Speaking about the bureau, Mohapatro said vacancies for fingerprint experts have been lying vacant ever since the creation of the state.

But the police authorities did not take steps to fill up the posts anticipating that they could avail of experts from Bihar. He said the department did not get any fingerprint expert from Bihar in the cadre division and that the state police was losing out in the absence of this wing.

“Several many criminal cases could not be solved due to the lack of fingerprint experts. As a result, the conviction rate has also dropped considerably over the past couple of years,” he said.

The ADG said the recruitment for the fingerprint bureaus would be done from the police department. “Police officers having the requisite qualifications would be given special training at forensic science laboratories in Calcutta and Hyderabad. If in any case the posts cannot be filled up from within the police department, we would go for alternative arrangements,” he added.