Chandigarh/ Haryana (June 26, 2013): Ahead of state assembly elections in Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda led Congress government has been gearing up to form separate Gurdwara committee for Hayana. As per information the Haryana government has prepared a draft of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Act, 2014.
Delaying the formation of a separate board/ committee for managing Sikh Gurdwaras in the state for many years after coming to power in 2005, chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda plans to announce the new entity next month.
According to media reports the 14-page draft is lying with the chief minister’s office (CMO), awaiting Hooda’s approval.
As per a Times of India (TOI) news report CM Hooda might make the announcement on or before July 6 when he is scheduled to attend the Sikh Mahasamellan convened by the ah hoc Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (HSGPC) at Kaithal.
The government was keen on bringing an ordinance during the cabinet meeting to solve the contentious matter while Sikh bodies were insisting on a special assembly session to pass the bill.
It is believed that the move for a separate Sikh body will have a bearing on assembly segments in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts, where Sikhs have a considerable population.
Haryana cabinet ministers Randeep Singh Surjewala and Harmohinder Singh Chatha are in touch with members of HSGPC (ad hoc) headed by Jadish Singh Jhinda and Didar Singh Nalwi.
HSGPC (ad hoc) president Jagdish Singh Jhinda confirmed being in touch with CMO officials and ministers Surjewala and Chatha.
The issue of HSGPC has been issue of debate in 2005 when Congress included it as an issue in its election manifesto.