Revamping publication dept priority: SGPC chief

Amritsar, December 2

The ‘disappearance’ of 328 Guru Granth Sahib ‘saroops’ has compelled Bibi Jagir Kaur, the newly appointed president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), to make the revamping of its publication department a top priority.

Accompanied by senior vice-president Surjit Singh Bhitewad and the general secretary, Kaur took the first meeting of officials after assuming the charge of the Sikh body. She also met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh.

She said that the officials would now be held accountable for their duties and there would be no tolerance for any lapse.

Talking to The Tribune, Kaur termed the ‘saroops’ going missing from the possession of the SGPC a matter of administrative lapse. She said that the functioning of the publication department, that is solely authorised to publish, store and issue the ‘saroops’ from the premises of Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib here, was the need of the hour.

The Akal Takht had appointed a probe panel that had submitted a 1,000-page report. The report had indicted 16 persons for misappropriation of the ‘saroops’. — TNS