Govt begins election process for SGPC board: minister

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) The government has begun the process of elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Lok Sabha was informed Tuesday.

Several cases have been filed in the Punjab and Haryana high court challenging the preparation of electoral rolls and other related issues on which the court has ordered a stay, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai added in response to a written question.

"The Government has commenced the election process. This was done after notification of Rules for appointment of Chief Commissioner Gurdwara Elections, and resolution in related matters in several court cases filed by different petitioners," he said.

The Sikh Gurdwaras Board Election Rules, 1959, provides that the chief commissioner shall by notification fix the date or dates for the various stages of elections to the SGPC Board, including the date on which polling shall be held, he said.

The Gurdwara Election Commission, headed by the chief commissioner, gurdwara elections, is the designated authority for the conduct of elections, he said.

Accordingly, the government has appointed a chief commissioner who issued notifications to the state governments of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh as well as the administrator of the union territory of Chandigarh and commissioner, gurdwara elections. The notifications asked them to start preparing electoral rolls for elections for the constitution of new SGPC board in accordance with Section 48 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. PTI ABS ABS MIN MIN