Now, state gurdwara panel to take over SGPC-managed educational institutions

Tribune News Service

Nitish Sharma

Kurukshetra, March 18

After gurdwaras, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) ad hoc has decided to take over the educational institutions, which the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee was managing in the state.

As per HSGMC leaders, there are three schools, two colleges, and a vocational training academy that are being managed by the SGPC. Besides these, the Miri Piri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Shahabad is managed by a trust.

Will take legal route

We will move cautiously and ensure that the patients don’t face any problem in this process. The committee will follow the legal procedure to take over the control. A provision has been made for the institute in the budget. —Gurvinder Singh Dhamija, HSGMC AD HOC General Secretary

HSGMC ad hoc general secretary Gurvinder Singh Dhamija said: “The educational institutions, which were being managed by the SGPC in the past, have given their consent to work with the HSGMC. Now that the budget has been passed, the process to take over the educational institutions will be completed in a couple of days. The committee will focus on the education sector and will provide all facilities to the students.”

“As the Miri Piri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Shahabad is not being run by the SGPC directly but by a trust, controlled by the Badal family, and to take over the institute, a committee has been formed. We will move cautiously and ensure that the patients there don’t face any problem in this process. The committee will follow the legal procedure to take over the control. A provision has been made for the institute in the budget, and we will it take over legally”, he added.

As per the information, former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal are members of the trust.

Meanwhile, SGPC senior vice-president Baldev Singh Kaimpur, who is also a member of the trust, said: “A trust was formed for the smooth management of the medical institution and representatives from the SGPC, SAD, and renowned doctors are the members of the trust. The SGPC chief is the chairman of the trust and allegations that the trust is controlled by the Badal family are baseless. There is a working group too that manages the routine work. The SGPC provides an annual grant of crores of rupees to the institute for functioning.”

A senior functionary of the Miri Piri institute said: “So far it is being run as a hospital. It has an OPD of around 500 patients per day. There are plans to start MBBS classes in the next session and a cath lab soon. Crores of rupees are to be spent in the next financial year on the college. We just want that the patients and the plans of the institute are not disturbed in the tussle between both committees.”