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SGPC passes 905-crore budget for 2015-16 Amritsar, March 30, 2015 (Yes Punjab News) The apex Sikh body, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) passed its budget of Rs. 905.06 crore for 2015-16 fiscal year here in a meeting of its executive on Thursday. The budget is 88.17 crore crore higher than the previous budget of the Sikh Gurdwara committee. In terms of percentage it is 9.742% higher than the last budget. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar chaired the meeting that passed the budget. Senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk along with general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, other office-bearers and executive members attended the meeting. The budget which was moved in the meeting by Sukhdev Singh Bhaur was passed by voice vote. In the budget an amount of Rs.603.84 crore has been reserved for Gurdwaras under the section 85. Educational Institutions of the Gurdwara committee would get funds to the tune of Rs. 182.21 crroe. Rs.67 crores have been reserved for 'Dharam Prachar' (religious preaching). The SGPC has earmarked Rs.59 crore as general board fund while Rs.43.13 crore has been reserved for Trust funds. The Sikh body has reserved Rs.31 crore for education fund and Rs.7.05 crore for Printing Press expenses. Speaking to media after passing the budget, Makkar said that the SGPC would continue to help people infected with cancer. He also said that the committee would keep helping needy students to get better education. He claimed that the SGPC has gone all out to provide education to the needy and the focus this time too is on education. He informed that 13 new schools and colleges were coming up. It is pertinent to mention here that the budget, which is normally passed by the general house of the SGPC but is being passed by the executive since the year 2011 because of a case pending in the Supreme Court. The matter relates to a case filed by Sehajdhari Sikhs seeking voting rights in SGPC elections. The SGPC has challenged the decision of Punjab & Haryana High Court which had ruled in favour of Sehajdhari Sikhs. Due to the ongoing litigation in the Supreme Court, the SGPC house formed after September 2011 has not been given recognition. The court has permitted SGPC office-bearers and executive formed in November 2010 to continue till a decision on the case is taken. Source - http://www.yespunjab.com/sikh/issues/item/65296-sgpc-passes-905-crore-budget-for-2015-16