Takht Hazur Sahib Board: Khalsa diwan challenges recommendations to amend Act

AMRITSAR: Angry over withdrawal of its lone member from Takht Hazur Sahib Board, Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD), one of the oldest Sikh institutions, has challenged the recommendations of Bhatia committee for making amendments in Takht Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Board Nanded Act 1956 which not only deprives CKD the right to have a member in the body but also reduced the representation of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
"We have written to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and chairman of the board Vijay Satbir Singh expressing our displeasure and challenged Bhatia committee's recommendations," said CKD president Charanjit Singh Chadha on Monday.
He also asked how the committee could undermine the significance of CKD which was established in 1902 and was a central Sikh organization of various Singh Sabhas in the country.
Maharashtra government had constituted a committee, headed by retired judge of Bombay high court Justice J S Bhatia for recommending amendments in the Act. The recommendations were approved by Maharashtra government in recent past. Bhatia committee had recommended to increase the number of members in the board from 17 to 21 but it had reduced the representation of SGPC from earlier four to one while CKD's quota of one member was cancelled.
Earlier, there were four members from SGPC, four from Sachkhand Hazuri Khalsa Diwan, two Sikh members of Parliament, one member from CKD, three elected members from the seven districts of Marathwada, one member each from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra besides a district collector.
Chadha said CKD member Raghujit Singh Virk, who was also senior vice-president of SGPC, represented CKD in the board.
Vijay Satbir Singh said it would take almost a year to complete the formalities before the amended Act was implemented.