KATHMANDU, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Starting on Jan. 15, the National Forensic Science Laboratory (NAFOL) will administer the Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid (DNA) tests on fresh blood samples for paternity identification, an official of NAFOL said Saturday.

    The NAFOL is opening for the tests after readying itself for over a year, testing equipment and preparing a database of Nepali population to get a broad DNA sample, said Jiwaan Rijal, executive director of NAFOL.

    An NAFOL committee meet held last week had passed a code of conduct to administer the DNA tests, Rijal said, adding, "As per the code of conduct, the tests should be conducted only on fresh blood samples."

    Every first week of Nepali month, the NAFOL will collect blood, on the second and third weeks, the collected blood samples will be analyzed and on third to fourth week, final reports on the tests will be given, Rijal noted.

    "8,000 Nepali rupees (114.28 US dollars) will be charged per test. Expensive chemicals and our limited resources have not allowed us to make the tests more cost effective," Rijal added.

    At present, the DNA tests will only be done on fresh bloods samples. The NAFOL has a long way to go before it starts tests on forensic samples for crime investigation, Rijal said.

    He said that the tests were only being offered by the lab at NAFOL considering the probability of contamination and alteration of blood samples.

    Rijal said that the NAFOL was under immense pressure to conduct DNA tests aimed at solving, inter alia, gang rape cases and pregnancies resulting from pre-marital affairs. "We are entering anew era of justice administration after the introduction of the DNA tests," he added.

    The NAFOL is staffed by three persons: Rijal and two other scientists. Enditem