After member's dissent, SGPC suspends land purchase at Tarn Taran

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 25

The SGPC’s proposal to buy a chunk of land adjoining the historical Gurdwara Bir Baba Bhudha Sahib in Tarn Taran has been suspended following the dissent note sent by a member of the sub-committee constituted for the purpose.

One of the members and SGPC executive member Gurpreet Singh Randhawa has raised doubts over the integrity citing that the land was already listed under a pre-sale deed and that it was not viable to purchase the land at exorbitant rate. He also questioned the transfer of the manager of the gurdwara at a time when the process was on to purchase the land.

Randhawa said he had decided not to be part of the sub-committee’s decision in the wake of lack of transparency and a non-viable situation.

“I have written a letter to the SGPC president to consider these issues and intervene in the matter before finalising any land deed as it was being purchased at very hefty rates. As of now, I declare to be out of the decision of the sub-committee,” he said.

On the other hand, another member of the sub-committee, Surjit Singh Bhitevind, who attended the meeting said that it was only a preliminary meeting, in which the proposal of fixing the rate of land was to be discussed and was not aimed at taking the final decision to buy the land.

SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal said though he was also a member of the sub-committee, but could not attend the meeting due to his preoccupancy.

“If there was no mutual agreement among the committee members, the decision of purchasing the land got scuttled for the time being. Moreover, this meeting was called to discuss the matter,” he said.