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SGPC spares a whopping ₹718 crore for management of gurdwaras in its budget
The expenses exceed the revenue estimates of ₹958.45 crores in the SGPC budget for the second consecutive year
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The SGPC on Wednesday allocated a major chunk of ₹718 crores towards the management of gurdwaras out of the ₹988.15 crore budget it passed for the fiscal year 2022-23, with the expenses exceeding revenue estimates of Rs. 958.45 crores for the second consecutive year.
The budget session held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall saw opposition from 12 members who walked out raising objection over the budget presented by SGPC general secretary Karnail Singh Panjoli.
The top gurdwara body allocated ₹231 crores for educational institutions amid a rising dificit faced by the institutes run by it.
Panjoli said the gurdwara body has released Rs. 40 crores from its golak (donation boxes) to overcome deficit faced by the educational institutions which is expected to rise in future.
“If our educational institutes become self-reliant, our budget allocation for dharam parchar can be increase from Rs. 70 crores to Rs. 100 crores,” he said, adding that the institutes can be reduced in number by merging them.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the expenditure of educational institutions this year is about ₹29.70 crore more than the revenue due to non-receipt of funds provided by the Punjab government for the aided staff deputed in SGPC’s educational institutions and scholarship amount of the scheduled caste (SC) students.
“The government should immediately clear the payment of due funds meant for SGPC institutions by giving up its apathetic nature towards the Sikh body,” he said.
₹11 crore has been allocated for dharam parchar committee, ₹8 crore for trust funds and ₹7 crore for printing presses.
A budget of ₹5.58 crore has been kept under various funds for supporting the poor and needy, ₹3.69 crore for memorials, ₹50 lakh for supporting Sikligar, and Vanjara Sikhs, and ₹96 lakh for natural disasters.
Dhami said that special fund has been kept aside for gurdwara sahibs in Punjab and outside the state, printing religious literature, supporting dharmi faujis and their families, pursuing cases of Sikh prisoners lodged in jails, for supporting the families affected by the Delhi Sikh genocide, and education of children.
He said four medical stores will be opened at Golden Temple, Takht Sri Anandpur Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo, and Gurdwara Bir Baba Budha Sahib, Thatha, Tarn Taran, from where medicines will be provided to the needy at cost price.
He said arrangements will also be made for providing free education, hostel, and food facilities to 200 Amritdhari (initiated) Sikh girls at Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib.
Dhami said that two new sarais would be built for the facility of pilgrims visiting the Golden Temple and a special budget has been reserved for the same.
In a resolution passed on the occasion, the SGPC announced to celebrate Guruship Day of second Sikh mster Guru Angad Dev as ‘Gurmukhi Diwas’ to promote the grmukhi script.
The house also demanded that various passages leading to the Golden Temple be widened and given Sikh heritage look like the heritage street.
The SGPC reiterated that Sikh prisoners, including Jagtar Singh Hawara who is a convict in former CM Beant Singh assassination case, should be released by the Centre as per its announcement made on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak.
SGPC member Balwinder Singh Bains said that statements made by the Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh are criticised badly over social media and urged him “to make a statement in such a manner that no one can question your statement.”
The gurdwara body also demanded removal of the condition of passport for the pilgrimage through Kartarpur corridor, besides development of Dera Baba Nanak town in Gurdaspur, which is connected to the last resting place of Guru Nanak in Pakistan through this corridor, as a Sikh heritage city.
It also requested India and Pakistan to facilitate Indian Sikh pilgrims to attend functions to be organised to mark 100th anniversary of Saka Panja Sahib in Pakistan. A budget of ₹1.75 crore has been earmarked for marking this centenary in India.
