ALL PURCHASES for gurdwaras to be centralized, decides SGPC; new ’serai’ at Amritsar
Amritsar, July 19
Catching the ‘kirtan’ from Harmandar Sahib is soon to get more convenient – there will be video on the web and broadcast on FM radio.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at its executive meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday decided to replace the audio of the kirtan that is put out on the website www.sgpc.net with video. The meeting also decided to issue licences for direct broadcast of the kirtan on FM radio.
Taking up other issues, the SGPC decided to centralize the purchases done by various gurdwaras in the interest of transparency. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar told HT that from now on all purchases.’ would be made in bulk at competitive prices.
The pending issue of raising a memorial for Operation Bluestar at Harmandar Sahib was still not addressed. In 2005, the SGPC executive had passed a resolution for the memorial.
In a resolution passed on Saturday, the meeting condemned the Haryana government for “failing to take up” on the Central government offer for providing 100 teachers to teach Punjabi as a second language in the state.
Ignoring a petition submitted by Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Baldev Singh Sirsa challenging the Rs 3.51akh monthly payment that is made to an accounts firm owned by one
S.S. Kohli, the SGPC went ahead with granting him the contract, and also approved an additional Rs 35,000 per month on account of service tax.
Clearing a Rs 9-crore land deal for raising another “serai” at Amritsar, the executive also decided to build new serais at Takht Anandpur Sahib and Fathegarh Sahib.
