Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 19: Former Minister and senior National Conference (NC) leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today said that the administration should demonstrate senility to the issue pertaining to the superintendence and management of the Gurdwaras across the Union Territory and ensure early conduct elections to the Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees (GPCs) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to the directions of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for time bound compliance of its orders of December 31, 2021 for constituting committees before initiating the process of conducting elections to GPCs, Sadhotra in a statement said the non-compliance of the HC directives is unfortunate and speaks volumes about the administrative inertia besides the lackadaisical attitude of the department concerned.
The former Minister said that the grant of last opportunity to the administration for implementation of the orders speaks of the seriousness of the issue and hoped that needful would be done by the concerned administrative department to satiate the aspirations of the Sikh Sangat.
He said that pending initiation of the process of the elections to the District Gurdwara Pranbhandhak Committees, the necessary notification should be issued in terms of Rule-C of the Rules of the Jammu and Kashmir Sikh Gurdwara and Religious Endowment Act 1073, nominating suitable members for the District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees. He hoped that the administration shall ensure that the persons of high integrity and social standing shall be incorporated in the committees as vehemently stressed by the Court.
Sadhotra said that implementation of the directives of the High Court is in the larger interest of the administration of the Gurdwaras in J&K. He said the administration owes an explanation to the Sangat as to why these directions were not adhered, and should fix responsibility for avoidable delay in the matter.
The NC leader said that the issue has been a matter of concern for the Sikh community who are yearning for proper elections to be held as per the Act in a democratic and transparent manner. It is high time for the administration to go for course correction in the mater
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