M A I N   N E W S

Gurdwara panel summons Bibi
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, March 7 — The Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission has sent summons to Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC chief, and her personal assistant Harjit Singh, in connection with 489 appointments in alleged violation of service rules of the SGPC.

The orders have been passed by Mr Manmohan Singh Brar, President, Mr Ajwant Singh Mann and Mr Amrik Singh Randhawa, on the basis of a petition filed by Mr Hardev Singh.

The petitioner has alleged that the appointments have been through “back-door entry” as the posts were not advertised as required in the SGPC bylaws.

However, Mr Harjit Singh, personal assistant to the SGPC chief claimed that the SGPC had followed procedure while making the appointments. He said the SGPC had sought affidavits from the appointments to the effect that none of their relatives was working in the SGPC. “The appointments were made purely on merit,” he said.

The petitioner has alleged that as many as 346 persons had joined the SGPC and in gurdwaras under Section 85 of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, between March 16, 1999, and October 31, 1999, among them 212 as sewadars, 43 as helpers, 35 clerks, 15 granthis, eight jathedars/ragis, nine assistant ragis, officer on special duty, driver, media director and dental doctor.

As many as 14 more had been recruited in gurdwaras under Section 87 of the Sikh Gurdwara Act.

Sixty three persons had been appointed in gurdwaras under Section 85 and 84 in category A and 62 in category B under Section 87.

The petitioner has enclosed a list of the name of appointments along with their addresses and dates of appointment. The petitioner has argued that the service rules of the SGPC clearly state that before any appointment, the post is to be advertised in newspapers. Thereafter, appointments are to be made on the basis of merit alone.

The petitioner has also said that many of the fresh appointees are below the age of 28. This is in violation of rules under Section 85 which state that the minimum age of an employee should be 28.

The petitioner has also pointed out that many appointed have relatives already in service of the SGPC and the appointments have been made by respondents to “accommodate” their near and dear ones.

The petition reads: “The respondents have committed acts of malfeasance, misfeasance, breach of trust, neglect of duty, abuse of power in making the appointments that are inconsistent with the provisions of the Sikh Gurdwara Act and the service rules framed by the SGPC”.

The petitioner has pleaded that the huge amount paid in form of salaries to the appointees be recovered from the respondents along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent.

A senior functionary of the SGPC who pleaded anonymity said it was not for the first time that the appointments had been made in violation of service rules.