15 years on, work yet to start on proposed SGPC institute
Our Correspondent
Mandi Ahmedgarh, April 9
A professional higher education institute, which is proposed to come up near Kup village, near here, is yet to see the light of day.
Over 15 years ago, the then SGPC president, Kirpal Singh Badungar, had announced to establish an institute to commemorate the martyrdom of 35,000 followers in Wadda Ghalughara, who were massacred by forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali on February 5, 1765.
Though a plot measuring 15 bighas was acquired by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for the purpose long time ago, the status of the announced institute did not change except from a site board installed on the plot. It is difficult to decipher what was once written on the board prominently.
Residents have now pinned all hopes on Gobind Singh Longowal, who was elected as the SGPC chief recently. He belongs to the Malwa region.
They have urged Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders and members of the SGPC from the region to use their clout to get the work on the project started.
They appreciated former SGPC member Surinder Kaur Sehke and her husband Hardev Singh Sehke, a SAD leader, for persuading the SGPC authorities to establish an institute for higher education for girls in the region.
Efforts made by the Sehke couple resulted in public announcement by the then SGPC president, Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, and acquiring of land for the proposed educational institute at Kup village on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla road 15 years ago.
Justifying demand raised by residents, the SGPC member, Jai Pal Singh Mandian, said estimate for construction of boundary wall was already approved.
“I will meet the newly elected SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal soon and seek expeditious commencement of work on the project for higher education of women,” he added.
