Missing ‘saroops’: Regular audit could have avoided controversy, says SGPC member

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 29

Resentment prevails over the action of the SGPC against its officials for their alleged involvement in the misappropriation of ‘saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib.

The SGPC neither clarified the grounds on which the officials were punished, nor did it tell about the whereabouts of the missing ‘saroops’.

The members said deputy secretary Gurbachan Singh, who pointed out the discrepancies, was wrongly targeted.

Senior SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur said the irregularities could have been avoided had the audit been done regularly and in a transparent manner.

“When it was in the knowledge of the authorities, why didn’t they respond? Many officials are still enjoying immunity. A pick-and-choose policy was adopted,” she said.

She said “like-minded” SGPC members would soon lodge their protest.

On July 11, 2018, a government-appointed auditing firm had apprised the SGPC in writing about the “non-cooperative” behaviour of a deputy secretary and the internal audit firm hired by the committee in procuring reports and records.

A representative of the firm confirmed that in a detailed letter addressed to the authorities, the irregularities were mentioned, but no action was taken.

The Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), the foremost complainant of missing ‘saroops’, demanded information about the ‘saroops’ that skipped the records.

SGPC spokesperson Kulwinder Singh said criminal proceedings would be initiated against the guilty officials. He said a sealed report of the probe panel was received from Akal Takht, which was opened before the executive members and the punishment was decided unanimously against those who were held responsible in the report.