The Tribune – SGPC clears Rs 806-cr budget; Up 21% over last year; Gurdwara upkeep, spread of education thrust areas

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 15. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today passed its annual budget of Rs 806 crore for 2013-14, registering a 21.13 per cent increase over last year’s budget of Rs 665.46 crore. The SGPC executive passed the budget unanimously with primary focus on maintenance of gurdwaras, spread of education and propagation of Sikhism.

The budget could not be presented and approved in the SGPC general house for the second successive year, as the fate of the new House continues to hang in the balance over the Sehajdhari row.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the major chunk of the budget had gone into maintenance of gurdwaras for which Rs 510.78 crore had been set aside as compared to Rs 421.26 crore last fiscal. In a boost for the education sector, the Education Fund has been increased from Rs 18.40 crore to Rs 23.90 crore. Similarly, the allocation for SGPC-run educational institutions has been raised from Rs 109.29 crore to Rs 133.64 crore.

The allocation for the Dharam Parchar Committee, which primarily works for the propagation of Sikhism, has witnessed an increase of Rs 9 crore i.e. from Rs 43 crore to Rs 52 crore.

The General Board Fund has been increased from Rs 43.40 crore to Rs 48.40 crore, while the Trust Fund has gone up from Rs 23.61 crore to Rs 31.23 crore. Another Rs 6.09 crore has been allocated for the printing press.

Further, Rs 7 crore has been allocated for “kar sewa” of gurdwaras and Rs 1.46 crore for promotion of hockey and kabaddi in SGPC-run institutions. There is also a plan to make hockey compulsory in SGPC-run schools and colleges.

Makkar said the SGPC had already given a financial aid of Rs 3.27 crore to 1,605 cancer patients and the budget allocation for this had been increased further.

Over Rs 58 lakh had been spent on the education for poor, besides another Rs 25 lakh on higher education of children from the 1984 riot-hit families, he added.

It has also been decided to reserve seats for Sikh girls from strife-torn Kashmir valley in SGPC-run educational institutions. Besides, an aid of Rs 70 lakh has been extended for the education of children from the Shikligar community in Vijaywada. Displaced Sikh families from Afghanistan have also been given a financial aid of Rs 5 lakh.

Makkar said a number of “sarais” (inns) were being constructed to provide accommodation to devotees. “While three ‘sarais’ are coming up in Amritsar, one each is ready at Anandpur Sahib and Damdama Sahib.” He said a coaching centre for IAS/IPS examination would also come up in Mohali soon.

TV channel warned

The SGPC has warned a private TV channel against naming its soon-to-be-launched soap as “Gurbani”, contending that the move has hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. The committee has written to the channel as well as the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister in this regard.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130316/punjab.htm#8

The Tribune – SGPC executive meeting now on August 3

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 28. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has advanced the date for the SGPC executive committee meeting from August 6 to August 3 in view of fiscal woes being faced by the Sikh institution in view of the Sehajdhari case in the court.

The SGPC had failed to pass its annual budget in March this year as its new House could not come into being. The Supreme Court had allowed the SGPC executive elected in 2010 to manage the SGPC’s daily affairs on March 30, following which it had passed vote-on-account on April 3 to manage the affairs of the SGPC till July 26, which was the next date of hearing.

However, as the verdict is yet to come out in the case, the SGPC executive will again have to give its nod to the expenditure for the coming days. A SGPC spokesperson said fiscal issues will figure prominently in the SGPC executive meeting on August 3.

Makkar today felicitated Surjeet Kaur, a resident of Mumbai, and her daughter Jyoti Kochhar by presenting them a ‘siropa’.

Surjeet Kaur has presented 886 grams of gold at the Golden Temple with which ‘Dhan Dhan Ramdas Gur Jin Sereya Tine Sawaraya’ has been written atop the Darshani Deodhi at the holy shrine. Earlier too, she had presented various items made of gold at the shrine.

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The Tribune – Petition on SGPC Administrator withdrawn

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 7. With the SGPC moving the Supreme Court in the Sehajdhari voting rights case, a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the appointment of an administrator was today dismissed as withdrawn.

The petition was, on the previous date of hearing, adjourned by the Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the matter was pending adjudication before the apex court.

A month after a Full Bench of the High Court had quashed the notification debarring the Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in the SGPC polls, the petition was filed for appointing an administrator for managing SGPC affairs.

The petition said the recently held SGPC elections had become null and void following the Full Bench judgment. As such, an administrator was required to be appointed to look after the day-to-day SGPC affairs till the time fresh elections were held.

Counsel Sandeep Khunger asserted: “As the election held on September 18, 2011, was subject to the final outcome of the writ petition and now the Full Bench has allowed the writ petition and quashed the notification dated October 8, 2003, the election has become non-est and a nullity.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120308/punjab.htm#17

The Tribune – SGPC steps up efforts for early session

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 21. Intensifying efforts to expedite the process for the election of its new office-bearers, the SGPC today shot off a fresh missive to the Union Home Ministry, seeking an appointment with Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC chief, said the annual SGPC budget had to be passed before March 31, which has to be first cleared by the executive. Ridiculing the Sehajdhari Sikh Party’s claim that the SGPC had misinterpreted the Supreme Court orders, he accused the party of deliberately creating confusion over the issue. SGPC’s senior counsel Gurminder Singh said:

“The Supreme Court has clearly said that the board constituted on December 17 will continue to function, which means it can go ahead with the office-bearers’ elections.”

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The Tribune – Sehajdharis say SGPC misreading SC order

Naveen S Garewal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 20. The Sehajdhari Sikh Party has accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee of misinterpreting the order of the Supreme Court.

Party president Dr P S Ranu has claimed that the apex court had restricted the SGPC from any “adventurous” moves like electing its president or other office-bearers.

Releasing the Supreme Court orders, Dr Ranu alleged that the Akali leadership was misinterpreting the interim directions of the Supreme Court to create “confusion on the legal status of the SGPC”.

Reading out from the order dated February 17, he said no directions had been given to the Union of India for holding any election of the office bearers as claimed by the President of SGPC.

The order of the Supreme Court given out by Ranu reads, “Issue notice, returnable in six weeks. In the meanwhile, the petitioners Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, for which a notification has been issued by the Central Government on December 17, 2011, shall continue to function as it has been hitherto functioning from the date of its constitution”.

Dr Ranu alleged that it was unfortunate that the SGPC was facing precarious situation as the newly elected SGPC was a “dead House on ventilator”.

The party has been demanding re-election for the SGPC general house. The elections were held on September 18 last year.

Sandeep Khunger, legal adviser to the party, said the order was clear to the effect that the SGPC could continue to function as it was, maintaining a status quo, without expanding its activities till the next hearing of the apex court.

The SGPC had filed a special leave petition in the apex court seeking a stay on the judgment of the Full Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High in which voting rights to Sehajdharis were denied by a notification of the Union Government, dated October 8, 2003. The SGPC had, in a separate application in the same case before the Supreme Court, prayed that the Union Government be directed to hold the meeting of the SGPC General House for electing the office-bearers of the newly elected House.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120221/punjab.htm#8

The Tribune – Call SGPC session, Makkar to Centre

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 17. The Supreme Court verdict, allowing the newly constituted SGPC House to function, has come as a huge respite for the mini-Parliament of Sikhs.

The SGPC chief, Avtar Singh Makkar, said: “The Centre should now call a session of the new House without delay for facilitating the election of new office-bearers so that the SGPC can function smoothly.” He said the verdict had paved the way for the passage of the annual SGPC budget next month.

Gurminder Singh, special counsel, said : “The decks are cleared for the election of SGPC office-bearers as well as the passage of the annual budget.” The SGPC budget was to be passed by the executive and the General House before March 31. The SGPC is required to inform its members about the Budget session 21 days in advance after the budget is passed by the executive.

The SGPC was finding it difficult to manage its day-to-day affairs. The SGPC president has the powers to sanction a maximum of Rs 25,000 and any amount above this sum has to be sanctioned by the SGPC executive. Noted lawyer HS Phoolka said the new House could not have been stopped from functioning as the court had not declared the 2011 SGPC elections void.

Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh also welcomed the SC order.

Timeline 

September 18, 2011: SAD sweeps SGPC polls

December 5: 15 members co-opted

December 16: Notification constituting the new SGPC House issued

December 20: High Court says Sehajdharis can vote, quashes 2003 notification barring Sehajdharis from voting in SGPC elections

February 17, 2012: SC allows the new SGPC House to function

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120218/punjab.htm#6

The Tribune – Sehajdhari voting row; SC allows new SGPC Board to continue

R Sedhuraman, Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, February 17. The Supreme Court today facilitated the election of office-bearers of the Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) by allowing the newly-constituted SGPC Board to continue.

A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and HL Gokhale passed an order to this effect after a brief hearing on a petition filed by the SGPC challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict that has restored the voting rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs.

The Bench also issued notice to the Sehajdhari Sikh Federation (SSF), the Union Home Ministry, Punjab government and the Chief Commissioner of Gurdwara Elections seeking their response to the SGPC petition within six weeks.

Arguing for SGPC, senior counsel Harish Salve and counsel Gurminder Singh also sought a stay on the December 20, 2011 HC verdict, pending disposal of its appeal. The Bench, however, ignored this plea.

On the other hand, senior counsel UU Lalit, appearing for the Sehajdhari Sikh Federation, pleaded for fresh elections as the SGPC poll result, declared on September 22, 2011, was subject to the outcome of the HC verdict. While the SGPC election was held without allowing the Sehajdhari Sikhs to vote, the SGPC Board should be elected afresh, he contended.

The SC, however, clarified that this was not possible as the HC judgment had now been challenged. “Suppose we set aside the High Court verdict, what would happen” to the fresh election involving the Sehajdhari Sikhs, the Bench asked.

The Bench heard the case in the form of a “mentioning” (plea for urgent hearing) made by the SGPC, while the SSF was present at the hearing as it had moved a caveat to prevent any relief being given to SGPC without hearing it.

Salve informed the SC that the new SGPC Board, comprising 170 elected members and 15 co-opted members, was notified by the Centre on December 17, 2011. However, the election to the posts of the president, vice-president, junior vice-president and general secretary was not held in view of the HC verdict.

Lalit argued that the Sehajdharis got their right to vote in SGPC election under the Punjab Re-organisation Act 1966 and this could not have been taken away by a Central government notification on October 8, 2003.

The senior counsel also contended that the SSF had sought a stay on the SGPC poll, but both the HC and the SC allowed the poll process to be completed holding that the result would be subject to the outcome of the court case. The SGPC had also accepted this view.

In its appeal, the SGPC said the HC verdict “raises serious issues of law” relating to the power of the Union Government. “It has been the understanding of those well-versed in the tenets of Sikhism that persons, who trim or shave their beard or hair violates one of the cardinal tenets of the Sikh religion and thereby ceases to be a Sikh.”

Once the Sehajdharis were allowed to vote, the doors would be open for persons from other communities, who merely declared their allegiance to the Sikh faith, could claim to be Sikhs and become voters, the petition contended.

The SGPC also pointed out that the HC had “expressly declined to go into the issue of who is a Sikh and whether Sehajdharis, who cut their hair would continue to be Sikhs, but none the less struck down” the Centre’s 2003 notification disenfranchising the Sehajdharis.

While striking down the notification, the HC had not clarified the status of the newly elected SGPC Board.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120218/main3.htm

The Tribune – No opposition, SAD to have a free run

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 4. With the co-option process in the new SGPC House set to take place here tomorrow, this will, probably, be the first time when the opposition will not be able to co-opt a single member, making the exercise a one-sided affair.

The ruling SAD had swept the SGPCpoll in September , winning 157 of the 170 seats. Out of the remaining 13 seats, six went to the Independents, most of whom rebel SAD leaders. The rest of the seats were shared by the Panthic Morcha, the SAD (Panch Pardhani) and the SAD (Amritsar).

The Opposition needs at least 12 members to co-opt one member into the House. Though its combined strength just touches the magic figure, there is hardly any possibility of the opposition getting a single member co-opted as it stands disunited. Similarly, the Opposition will not get any berth in the SGPC executive. Therefore, the Opposition will be out of the co-option process as well as the formation of the SGPC executive.

In the previous House, the Opposition was able to co-opt its three members and had also representation in the executive. Sources said the SAD’s alliance partner Sant Samaj’s Jagtar Rode, (brother of former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode) may be co-opted as a member.

The Sant Samaj is seeking two seats in the new SGPC House.

The first meeting of the newly elected SGPC members will be held at at Teja Singh Samundari Hall here tomorrow. The new House will finally come into being after various twists and turns over the past almost two-and-a-half years. While this was not the first time that the SGPC elections were not held on time, the ruling SAD continued its tirade against the Congress-led UPA government, accusing it of deliberately delaying the poll.

Later, when the SGPC elections were announced, a controversy on the voting rights of the Sehajdhari Sikhs broke out.

On September 2, the Centre withdrew the October 2003 notification debarring the Sehajdharis from exercising franchise in the SGPC elections, contending that the notification had been issued “without application of mind”.

The following day, an embarrassed Union Government scurried to assure Parliament that it had no intention of withdrawing the notification .

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