The state government has planned to soon introduce a narcotics department — a facility to test narcotic substances — at the regional forensic science laboratory (RFSL) in Jalpaiguri.

“A new building of the RFSL is ready at Race Course Para in Jalpaiguri which will be handed over to us. There is a plan to open the narcotics department at the laboratory to facilitate speedy testing of narcotics seized in the region,” said Nutan Ghatak, the senior scientific officer of the RFSL.

In Jalpaiguri, the RFSL has been running for many years now for serological, biological and toxicological tests.

A senior police officer said that over the past few years, seizures of narcotic items like heroin, brown sugar and cannabis have increased across north Bengal. Also, Yaba tablets (a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine), with a huge demand in Bangladesh, are seized at regular intervals.

“After such a seizure, a test is necessary to confirm that the item is a narcotic. But it is done at the State Forensic Science Laboratory (Calcutta). Hence, it is important that we have a testing facility here so that reports can reach police and other security agencies fast,” said the officer.

Sources said that a two-storey building for the RFSL has been readied by the state PWD.

“Some senior officials of SFSL will arrive in Jalpaiguri at the end of July or at the beginning of next month. The building would be handed over to the RFSL then and initiatives would be taken to start the narcotics testing facility,” said a source.

Himachal calling

Picture by Biplab Basak

A 10-member team of the Nature and Trekkers’ Club of Jalpaiguri on Monday left for an expedition to Mt Lady of Keylong, located at an altitude of 6,061 metres in Lahaul-Spiti of Himachal Pradesh. The team left for Delhi and from there would head to Manali.

“We will reach Teenno Gaon, a village located at an altitude of 10,000 feet and start our trekking from there. Our plan is to make it to the summit on July 24 or 25,” said Bhaskar Das, who is leading the team.

Report by our Jalpaiguri correspondent