Thursday, May 19, 2011

‘Probe Sikh shrine board’s land deals’

Some members of the Sikh community have accused the administrator of the second most important Sikh shrine in the world, the Nanded Takht (Sri Hajur Sahib), of financial irregularities and nepotism in the last seven years. PS Pasricha, the administrator, who is a former director general of Maharashtra Police , is alleged to have sold properties owned by the Nanded Takht at much lower prices.

Pasricha was made sole in-charge of the Takth board after the government dissolved a 15-member state-appointed board, of which he was chairman, in 2009.
Sher Singh Fauzi, former chairman of the Takht managing board and general secretary of the Nanded unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), alleged that Pasricha sold a board property in 2006 in Sion Koliwada for Rs45 lakh when the market price was Rs2.5 crore.
“Pasricha sold a vacant plot in Deglur town for Rs2 lakh against the market price of Rs25 lakh. A one-acre plot in Nanded was sold at Rs1 crore though it commanded a price tag of Rs25 crore.”
with thanks : Hindustan Times : link above for detailed news.

Gurdwara land: Sikhs protest against SGPC, GMADA in Mohali

The members of the Sikh community Wednesday staged a peaceful protest dharna against Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) in front of Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Phase VIII here. Led by the local SGPC member Hardeep Singh, the protesters, who were holding black flags to express their anguish over what they alleged “depriving” Gurdwara Amb Sahib of its own land, squatted on the side of a road dividing GMADA office and gurdwara.
Addressing the protesters, Hardeep Singh alleged that on the directions of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, the SGPC officials have already given consent to GMADA to create public parking on 2.86 acres of land belonging to Gurdwara Amb Sahib.

 with thanks : IndianExpress : link above for detailed news.

Two Sikhs become ministers in Canada

Two Sikhs were named to the new Canadian cabinet announced on Wednesday. In a major surprise for the million-strong Indo-Canadian community, first-time MP Bal Gosal from the Toronto constituency of Bramalea-Gore-Malton was made minister of state for sport by Prime Minister Stephen Harper whose  Conservative Party was returned to power with a majority in the May 2 elections.

A Sikh from Mukundpur village near Jalandhar, 50-year-old Gosal, who is an insurance broker by profession, had defeated Sikh stalwart and six-time MP Gurbax Malhi. Malhi himself had created history in 1993 by becoming the first Sikh turbaned MP in the western world.
Tim Uppal, a 37-year-old Canadian-born turbaned Sikh from Edmonton, was also made minister of state for democratic reform. This is Uppal's second term in the Canadian parliament.
with thanks : Hindustan Times : link above for detailed news.
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