UP cabinet clears proposal for setting up of forensic university in Lucknow

Annual Budget 2020-21 has allocated Rs 20 crore for the varsity

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday cleared the proposal of setting up of UP Police and Forensic Science University in Lucknow.

The decision was taken at the state cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath here.

In UP Annual Budget 2020-21, tabled in the state assembly last week, the government had already allocated a sum of Rs 20 crore for the setting up of the modern varsity.

Since UP comprises a large geography spanning 75 districts, 8 police zones and 18 ranges, the existing forensic science laboratories were found to be overworked owing to the magnitude of cases received by them on a routine basis. Therefore, the need was felt to set up a specialised wing keeping in mind the expected load in near future.

At present, UP has 5 forensic science labs at Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Moradabad, while similar facilities are being set up at 6 more places viz. Prayagraj (Allahabad), Gorakhpur, Kannauj, Aligarh and Jhansi.

The new varsity is not only expected to facilitate understanding with similar institutions in India and abroad, but also offer degree in forensic sciences and thus create a new knowledge pool for the country.

Apart from India, the forensic university would offer academic courses to students from other friendly neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

In the Annual Budget, the Adityanath government has made budgetary allocation totalling more than Rs 2,100 crore under the various police and fire fighting heads, both operational and infrastructure for the next financial year.

While, the Budget allocated Rs 3 core for cyber crime prevention against women and children, Rs 28 crore has been allocated for financial assistance under the Central Victim Compensation Fund scheme in the cases of acid attack, rape, human trafficking or murder.

Meanwhile, Rs 97 crore have been allocated under the Safe City Lucknow scheme, apart from Rs 650 crore and Rs 600 crore for construction of non-residential and residential buildings respectively.

Rs 300 crore would be spent for the construction of residential and non-residential blocks in the newly created districts of the state. Besides, Rs 150 crore has been allocated for the construction of buildings of fire fighting stations.

Meanwhile, about Rs 27 crore has been provided for disbursement as ex-gratia to the next kin of police personnel, who either died or sustained grievous injuries during the discharge of their duty.

The UP Annual Budget 2020-21, tabled in the state assembly on February 18, is to the tune of Rs 5.12 trillion, which is almost 7 per cent higher than current year’s Annual Budget 2019-20 of Rs 4.79 trillion.

In his 4th consecutive Budget, the Yogi Adityanath government has attempted to toe the path of fiscal discipline, and tamed fiscal deficit at 2.97 per cent or Rs 53,195 crore.