The appointment of first Chief Secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has come under judicial scanner. Taking up a petition filed against the appointment of Harcharan Singh as the Chief Secretary of the committee, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to SGPC and other respondents.
The petition filed by Pehredar Social Welfare Society through its president Balwinder Singh seeks quashing of the officer order under which Harcharan Singh took over the Chief Secretary’s charge.
The petitioner has said that the SGPC had arbitrarily made appointment to a non-existent post ‘when no posts exist at all as per the rules’ and the Sikh Gurdwara Act, especially at the age of over 70, whereas the maximum age of superannuation as per the Rules and the Act is 58 years. The appointment and monthly salary of `3 lakhs was grave misuse of public funds and involved Sikh community’s religious sentiments, added the petitioner.
The counsel for the petitioner told the court that the present executive committee was functioning through interim directions of the Supreme Court, passed vide order dated March 30, 2012. “The act of appointing the respondent is blasphemy, sacrilege. The creation of Chief Secretary’s post at this juncture is illegal and unconstitutional and does not enjoy the consent and approval of the full house that is the Board, which is presently not functioning as special leave to appeal is pending adjudication before the Supreme Court. Thus, this appointment to the post of chief secretary is rigged and the whole process of appointment is a sham and it was pre-decided to benefit the respondent”.
The Division Bench of Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Mahavir Singh Chauhan seeking response of the respondents issued notice to the State of Punjab, the SGPC and Harcharan Singh for November 5. The SGPC had appointed Harcharan Singh as Chief Secretary of the Supreme Gurudwara management committee.
A former Deputy Chairman of the Punjab and Sind Bank, Harcharan Singh’s appointment has raised protesting voices within the committee itself.