Fatehgarh Sahib, December 26
The SGPC appears to be “infatuated” with the information technology as it has decided to go for computerisation, besides opting for one of the country’s best auditing agency in an endeavour to introduce complete transparency in its financial affairs.
It has also decided to introduce “open auction” after discontinuing the existing practice of inviting tenders for leasing out its landed properties.
The SGPC has also decided to call on the Union Home Minister, Mr Lal Krishan Advani, at Rajpura on December 30 to extract an assurance from him that the integrity and honour of the Sikhs would not be compromised with.
These are some of the important decisions taken by the executive committee of the SGPC at its first meeting after the election of Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar as its new chief.
“We have decided to go for computerisation in a big way. All gurdwaras under SGPC control would be computerised. This will facilitate better coordination and control,” Prof Badungar said.
In an informal chat with newspersons here this afternoon, he said the SGPC had decided to engage one of the country’s best agency for auditing its accounts.
To introduce total transparency in its financial matters, the SGPC had also decided to introduce open auction after discontinuing some of its existing practices, including awarding yearly contracts by inviting limited tenders.
These covered SGPC properties and even supplies to the SGPC. “Instead, we have decided to go for open bidding both for supplies and leasing out SGPC properties on a contractual basis,” the SGPC chief said.
He said that Singh sabhas and other Sikh organisations would be integrated with the Dharam Parchar Committee of the SGPC to ensure uniformity in this regard.
Talking about the rehabilitation of Sikhs in Afghanistan, Prof Badungar said he had written to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who in his reply assured the SGPC that efforts would be made through diplomatic and other channels to ensure their rehabilitation.
Referring to the incidents of hate- crime and targeting of Sikhs in the USA after the September 11 attacks, he said the Prime Minister assured him that the matter had been taken up with US President George Bush and, if need be, it would be pursued further to ensure that such incidents were not repeated.
The circular issued by the Uttar Pradesh Government against Sikhs and Muslims living in that state was most disturbing, he said “We have taken up this issue with the Union Home Ministry. We are also disturbed at the killing of Sikh women in Kashmir.”
We have decided to meet the Union Home
Minister when he visits Rajpura on December 30 and present him with a memorandum to ensure that the honour of Sikhs living outside Punjab was not compromised with and their safety and security should be guaranteed.
The wounds of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots are still fresh. And such provocative incidents were detrimental to their respectable rehabilitation in the mainstream,” he added.
