6-member committee asks SGPC to launch Gurbani telecast channel

Amritsar, May 7

Stepping up pressure on the SGPC to launch own channel and call off its agreement with a private satellite channel to telecast Gurbani kirtan from the Golden Temple, senior functionaries of the Kendari Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Chandigarh, handed over a report to the Akal Takht here on Saturday.

A six-member committee of the Kendari Singh Sabha in its 245-page documentary report alleged the channel was paying grossly insufficient amount to the SGPC for telecasting Gurbani besides non-adherence of transparent norms by the SGPC.

The visiting delegates said the broadcast agreement was extended and even transferred to another channel arbitrarily or without complying with norms since the commencement of the agreement. Even the penalty for breach of contract was once abolished.

The report mentioned the private satellite channel, which started with a capital of less than Rs 3 crore, had now grown to nearly Rs 1,000 crore. Surprisingly, till 2015, it used to pay only Rs 1.5 crore annually to the SGPC for the telecast.

To immediately stop commercialisation of Gurbani, they asked the SGPC abolish the agreement and float own TV channel. They added even the Jathedar of Akal Takht had directed the SGPC to do so.

Guru Singh Sabha report findings

• Channel paid insufficient amount to SGPC for Gurbani telecast
• Agreement extended, transferred to another channel arbitrarily
• Penalty for breach of contract once abolished