SGPC wants amendments in Gurdwara Act

Amritsar, Dec 20: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee(SGPC) today sought an amendment in the Gurdwara Act to include atleast 10 Non-Resident Indian (NRI) baptised Sikhs in the SGPC generalhouse.

In a demands charter submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh bySGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, after the PM paid obeisance at theGolden Temple here, the Committee pointed out that amendments of theact are in the purview of the Union Home Ministry.

The SGPC general house in its session last month had passed a resolution on this issue.

Another demand included imposition of a blanket ban by the centralgovernment on the publication of the the Sikh holy book, the GuruGranth Sahib. The SGPc pointed out that certain private publishers inPunjab and in other states continued to publish and print the GuruGranth Sahib despite a ban imposed by the Akal Takht, the highestspiritual and temporal seat of the Sikhs.

''Private publishers and printers cannot adhere to the sanctitylaid down by the Akal Takht, only the SGPC can do so,'' the chartersaid.

The demands also included extending the term of the SGPC presidentand other office bearers and the 11-member executive to two-and-a-halfyears from the present one year. This again was in the purview of theUnion Home Ministry and Dr Singh could take up this issue, the SGPCsaid.

The SGPC also demanded that fifth and sixth phase of the GoldenTemple corridor beautification plan should be completed immediately.

The Shiromani Committee also called for halting the mushroominggrowth of hospitals, resturants and hotels in the vicnity of the GoldenTemple.

The SGPC also asked the PM to direct the Punjab government to shutdown all wine and tobacco selling shops from in the old walled city.The Shiromani Committee also called for halting the multi-storeyshopping complex being built by the Improvement Trust outside the ClockTower entrance of the Golden Temple.

UNI