Berhampur, May 2: Staff shortage and space constraints at the police department's regional forensic science laboratory near Gopalpur junction here has plagued working conditions at the unit.

The laboratory covers nine police districts and two vigilance departments of Ganjam, Koraput and Kalahandi districts.

Among other things, the laboratory carries out ballistic comparison (method of proving if a bullet was fired from a particular pistol), microscopic tests, seminal steal tests, blood and other biological sample tests, chromatography (separation of solution of petrol diesel) and its reports are deemed as important evidence in court proceedings.

The sanctioned staff at the unit includes a deputy director, three assistant directors and three scientific officers in the senior level.

Deputy director Ramnath Swain said: "Each unit covers six divisions, including physics, ballistics, chemistry, toxicology, biology and serology. An assistant director should head each division for smooth functioning of the laboratory. But our unit is run by assistant directors with twin disciplines. We have two assistant directors - one looks after physics and ballistics and the other biology and serology. A scientific officer looks after the chemistry and toxicology divisions."

Swain said: "There are two laboratory attendants and one peon. We don't have any laboratory assistants. There is one driver but the jeep is not in running condition."

The regional forensic science laboratory in Berhampur was set up in 1984. It is equipped with instruments worth Rs 10 crore, including density gradient test machine, which tests soil samples at the place of murder and the ICP-OES machine worth Rs 40 lakh that determines metal or liquid contents.

"We immediately require a gas chromatography machine to determine adulteration in petrol and diesel. When we have to deal with such cases, we have to send the samples all the way to Bhubaneswar," Swain said.

But, the biggest problem for the laboratory is space crunch.

"Many samples are piled up in the biology and chemistry laboratory and even in the balcony. Some samples that have already been tested are lying since 2007. We cannot destroy these samples as we have to produce it before the courts when required," he said. There is no room to accommodate the trainees and no facilities to provide restrooms for those who come from distant places. There is no canteen, no boundary wall and no iron gate," he added.

There is a proposal to open a cyber crime division in the laboratory by August. But the future depends on how the staff position and space crunch is streamlined.

There are three regional forensic science laboratory in the state, including Berhampur, Sambalpur and Balasore, while the main laboratory is at Rasulgarh in Bhubaneswar.

There is also a proposal to open a fourth regional unit at Koraput district, a source said.