HC issues notice to CS, Home Secy in contempt petition

Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees’ elections

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 8: In a contempt petition filed by Satinder Singh for not implementing the judgment regarding initiating the process of conducting elections to Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees, High Court has issued notice to Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, Principal Secretary Home Department Shaleen Kabra.
During the course of hearing, petitioner submitted that respondents were bound to nominate fresh members of committees from amongst the persons of high integrity and social standing, in terms of Rule 63-C of the Rules, by issuing a notification in this regard, so that the day to day affairs of the Gurdwaras in different districts of UT of J&K, falling under the jurisdiction of the concerned District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees, are run smoothly.
“This notification of nominating fresh members was to be issued within a period of three weeks. The respondents were also directed to initiate the process of holding the elections expeditiously in terms of the judgment passed by this court. However, the period of three weeks within which the respondents had to issue the notification for nominating the fresh members of the committees, has elapsed but nothing has been done by the respondents, as a result, the day to day religious affairs of different Gurdwaras under the District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees are suffering a lot”, the petitioner submitted.
“The erstwhile members, who have already been held to be continuing to hold the affairs of different Gurdwaras unauthorizedly are still continuing as such as no notification in this regard has been issued by the respondents too”, the petitioner said.