Rs 642-crore SGPC budget to be put before executive body today

“The decision of the executive committee is final and there will be no need to get the budget approved from the SGPC General House,since the Union government is yet to issue a notification for the first General House meeting of the new SGPC,” said Makkar. According to procedure,once the budget is passed by the executive committee it needs to be presented before the General House for approval.

“Both the SGPC and the Centre had sought court directions on the issue of notification on the first meeting of the General House. The court directed the SGPC executive committee,constituted in 2010,to carry out the functions till further orders. So,the decisions of the executive committee will be final,” said Makkar.

The new SGPC house,constituted after the September 2011 polls,is in middle of a legal battle after the Punjab and Haryana High Court had quashed central notification to restore the voting rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs in an order on December 20,2011. The court had earlier said that the SGPC poll was subject to the final outcome of the verdict on Sehajdhari Sikh issue. After the final verdict in December 2011,a question mark arose over the new SGPC house,notification for which was issued by the Centre on December 17,2011.

SGPC moved the Supreme Court challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict. With the case pending in court,the Ministry of Home Affairs has not issued notification for the new SGPC house to elect its office bearers — a must for passing the budget. The SGPC had made a separate appeal to the SC,underlining the need to have an executive committee to pass the budget and run day-to-day affairs.

On March 30,the SC directed that the SGPC executive committee to continue its duties in terms of Sikh Gurdwara Act-1925 until further orders. The next date of hearing is on July 26.