Chandigarh/Kurukshetra, Jan 8: Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) president Jagdish Singh Jhinda on Wednesday claimed that the General House had passed an annual budget of over Rs 104 crore at a meeting in Kurukshetra, even as dissenting members rejected the claim, citing lack of quorum.
Addressing the media after the meeting held at Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi in Kurukshetra, Jhinda said the committee approved a Rs 104.50 crore budget with a two-thirds majority. “The budget has finally been passed today. Due to the delay, the committee was facing difficulties in running its day-to-day affairs. Beyond salaries and routine expenses, no new projects could be initiated,” he said.
Jhinda claimed that 33 members supported the budget and that the committee would prioritise religious outreach, healthcare, education and financial assistance to the needy. “Some members tried to disrupt the meeting and even held a parallel gathering, but we still had sufficient numbers to pass the budget,” he added.
The HSGMC budget had remained pending for several months due to internal divisions. An earlier General House meeting convened in June last year ended inconclusively after objections were raised, leading to the formation of a sub-committee to prepare a revised budget.
Members present at Wednesday’s meeting said the panel would focus on strengthening educational institutions, healthcare services and the management of gurdwaras under the HSGMC.
However, dissenting members met separately at Gurdwara Nada Sahib in Panchkula and claimed that the Kurukshetra meeting lacked the required quorum. HSGMC member Didar Singh Nalvi said, “There are 49 members in the committee, including nine co-opted members. For the budget to be passed, at least 33 members must be present. Since 17 members aligned with us did not attend, the quorum was incomplete.”
Nalvi alleged that only 28 members were present and accused the leadership of planning to collect signatures later. “This is not legally valid. The president has failed to get the budget passed properly and should resign on moral grounds,” he said.
