Chandigarh, Jan 8: A fresh controversy has erupted within the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee after president Jagdish Singh Jhinda announced that the panel had approved a budget exceeding Rs 104 crore, a claim strongly contested by dissenting members.
Jhinda said the budget was passed during a General House meeting held on Wednesday at Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi in Kurukshetra. “The Rs 104.50 crore budget has been cleared with a two-thirds majority. Because of the delay, the committee could not take up new projects in gurdwaras and educational institutions,” he said.
According to Jhinda, the approved budget will focus on Dharma Prachar, healthcare, education and financial assistance for the underprivileged. He also alleged that some members attempted to disrupt the proceedings and organised a separate meeting. “Despite this, we had adequate representation to pass the budget,” he said.
The budget had remained stalled for months due to factionalism within the HSGMC. A previous General House meeting in June last year ended without approval after objections were raised, leading to the formation of a sub-committee to rework the budget.
Committee members who attended the Kurukshetra meeting said the budget would help ensure smoother administration of gurdwaras and allied institutions under the HSGMC.
Meanwhile, dissenting members convened at Gurdwara Nada Sahib in Panchkula and claimed that the president no longer enjoyed majority support. They maintained that the General House meeting did not meet quorum requirements.
“There are 49 members in total, including nine co-opted members. At least 33 members must be present to pass the budget,” said Didar Singh Nalvi. “Seventeen members did not attend the meeting. Only 28 were present, making the exercise invalid. Collecting signatures later is against procedure.”
Nalvi said the budget had not been passed legally and demanded Jhinda’s resignation, calling for the constitution of a new executive body to ensure the committee’s smooth functioning.
