Amritsar, March 15
Many an eyebrow is likely to be raised in the Panthic circles over the SGPC Budget, likely to be presented in the general House here on March 30. The income from offerings of some of the historical gurdwaras has been shown as decreased.

Last year, a Rs 181-crore Budget was passed with a voice vote. However, after the toppling of the Badal government and shifting of loyalty by three SGPC members from the SAD to the SHSAD, the proceedings of the Budget session may witness dissenting voices.

As per information available with The Tribune, the Budget for the gurdwara section (85) is Rs 118 crore while funds for the Dharam Parchar Committee has been fixed at Rs 15 crore. The trust funds are Rs 3.39 crore while the educational funds are Rs 6 crore. The Budget for the press (publication) is Rs 4 crore.

The Budget earmarked for diary/calendar which could not be published for the past four years is Rs 50 lakh and Rs 95 lakh has been fixed for the Sikh mission in Punjab while Rs 2.50 lakh would be earmarked for the mission in Jammu and Kashmir. A sum of Rs 27 lakh would be spent for propagating Sikh faith in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana while Rs 10 lakh has been earmarked for the mission in Uttar Pradesh. A whopping Rs 1 crore has been earmarked for the construction of Shaheed Sikh Missionary College at Amritsar.

Against the collection of Rs 1.42 crore from the Dharm Parchar (gurdwaras Section 87), the fixed income is only Rs 1 crore. The Budget has earmarked Rs 10 crore for the SGPC-run medical college here while Rs 50 lakh will be spent on the construction of a “miri piri” college at Shahbad in Haryana. Sri Guru Ram Dass Cancer Institute would get Rs 5 lakh while Rs 10 lakh will be spent for purchasing vehicles.

The income from the offerings of Akal Takht would be Rs 65 lakh against Rs 68 lakh while the expenditure on religious fairs was Rs 50 lakh as compared to Rs 35 lakh. The expenditure on ‘siropas and patasas’ is Rs 95 lakh against the expected expenditure of Rs 35 lakh. The expenditure on the construction of gurdwara buildings is Rs 50 lakh.