Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday appealed the Akal Takht Jathedar (head priest) Giani Harpreet Singh to direct the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to immediately grant rights to all TV and radio channels for direct telecast or broadcast of live Gurbani Kirtan from Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar.

The move is aimed at ensuring maximum outreach of live kirtan so that none of the devotee is deprived of viewing or listening Gurbani kirtan, said the Chief Minister.

Channi, who personally handed over the letter to the Jathedar of the Sikhs’ highest temporal seat at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, said that as the Sikh sangat had been craving since long for ‘Khulle Darshan Deedar’ of the sacred places left in Pakistan after partition, in the same spirit, the devout Sikh sangat always nurtured a keen desire for open telecast of Gurbani kirtan around the clock from Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also assured the Jathedar Sri Akal Takht that Punjab Government is ready to bear the entire expenditure of requisite infrastructure for the said purpose.

Pointing out further, the Chief Minister said that the SGPC has given exclusive rights to a particular Punjabi channel having sole ownership by a single family, in lieu of partly sum of funds, enjoying absolute monopoly which is totally unfair and unjustified.

“SGPC, with its decision to give telecast rights especially to one channel, has become an obstacle in the way of dissemination of Gurbani kirtan in every household, far and wide across the globe,” he said.

Channi also apprised the Jathedar that even the Shiromani Akali Dal, in its election manifesto of SGPC polls during 1996 and 2004, had made a promise to Sikh sangat that SGPC would set up its own channel for 24x7 live telecast of Gurbani kirtan from Sri Harmandir Sahib.

He also implored the Jathedar Sahib to issue necessary directions to the SGPC on this extremely serious and important matter at the earliest.

PUNJAB CM ANNOUNCES HERITAGE STREET FOR TALWANDI SABO

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday announced to construct a heritage street in Talwandi Sabo on the lines of already existing in Amritsar and Sri Chamkaur Sahib.

Accusing SAD and AAP of not doing anything for the development of holy town of Talwandi Sabo, Channi said that while Badals only focussed their attention on increasing their wealth, they totally neglected this religious town. “Strenuous efforts will be made to develop this religious town,” said Channi, announcing a slew of measures for the overall development of Talwandi Sabo constituency, while addressing a rally.

He said that a model school will be made in Rama Mandi just like the one made recently in Kharar so that children of the area gets best of education.

Expressing concern over traffic snarls, he also announced to make a flyover in Rama Mandi.

Questioning his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal as why he announced Rs 2500 for the women in Goa and why not the same or even Rs 5,000 for Punjab women, Channi said that AAP are outsiders who have done nothing but only false promises.