SGPC sacks 15 ‘back-door’ employees posted in Ajnala

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 23

The SGPC has terminated the services of its 15 employees posted at Gurdwara Gurusar Madoke Brar in Ajnala.

The employees, who had been serving as sewadars and clerks, have written to SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar that if they were not taken back, they would give up Sikhism and surrender their religious symbols at Akal Takht.

Lovedeep Singh and Rajwinder Singh, both sewadars, also allegedly charged SGPC executive member Surjit Singh Bhittewad and manager of Chheharta Sahib gurdwara Jagtar Singh of asking for bribe for reviving their services.

Gurdwara Gurusar was earlier being run by a local committee till the SGPC took its control on August 10.

“None of us were paid wages after that. Rather, we were told to shell out Rs50,000 each to save our jobs. We tried to approach SGPC’s chief secretary Dr Roop Singh, but he was unavailable. Later we approached another senior SGPC member who misbehaved with us and dragged us out of his office,” they said.

Bhittewad, who was a member of the fact-finding committee, said these employees were hired through the ‘backdoor’ without following the procedure by the earlier committee, hence the SGPC executive had decided to terminate their services.

“Just a few months before the SGPC could take the gurdwara in its control, the earlier local committee had employed them in an unauthorised manner without advertising the post. The fact came to light after the committee probed the issue. There were already 27 employees on rolls and later 15 more were added. The total income from the gurdwara is around Rs2 lakh per month, whereas the salary bill comes to over Rs3.5 lakh per month. It was not viable to continue with their services, so the executive decided to lay them off,” he said.

Kuldeep Kaur, sewadarni, said they had unanimously decided to give up Sikhism. “We will wait till November 26. If we were not re-employed, we will assemble at Akal Takht, submit an apology and give up Sikhism with our families,” they said.