To,
Sh. Avtar Singh Makkar,
President SGPC,
Amritsar.
Subject: – Clarify your position on relay of ‘Gurbani’ exclusively to PTC channel owned by the Badal family.
Respected Makkar ji,
As you are aware, Capt. Amarinder Singh President PPCC has recently made startling disclosures about the Badal family having majority shares in the PTC network company. This fact was never disclosed by any member of the Badal family, despite filing various affidavits while contesting elections to Vidhan Sabha or the Lok Sabha.
Now that the ownership of PTC channel has come to public domain, it has raised serious concern in the minds of people for favourtism being shown by the SGPC to PTC channel. The exclusive rights to relay of ‘Gurbani’ were passed on to the PTC from ETC channel that entered into a 11 years contract with the SGPC. The said contract recently expired on 15.09.2011 for which an extension of three months has again been granted to PTC channel.
The PTC channel has defaulted payment in crores that was due to the SGPC under various clauses of the contract. For example the PTC was supposed to pay Rs 2 crores and 1 lac annually to the SGPC for its educational and charitable health institutions. Similarly Rs 50 lacs were supposed to be paid to the SGPC as annual fees. Thirdly ten percent of the revenue generated from commercial advertisements before and after relay of ‘Gurbani’ was supposed to be deposited with the SGPC. As per information the PTC channel has failed to honour any of these financial commitments, rendering it defaulter.
The SGPC is going head over heels to please the PTC channel despite being a defaulter, since the Badals have vested interests in the said channel.
Your argument that relay of ‘Gurbani’ is a social obligation and not a commercial venture falls flat when you view the different clauses of the agreement of the SGPC with PTC. In case you suggest that relay of ‘Gurbani’ is non-commercial, then why other TV channels of India are being denied permission to telecast relay of ‘Gurbani’?
I would suggest that in order to bring transparency in the matter, the SGPC must float a global tender and invite competition as it can earn hundreds of crores annually from relay of ‘Gurbani’, which in turn can be spent for spread of education and ‘Dharam-Parchar’.
Therefore, I urge you to clarify your position as to why PTC channel owned by the Badal family is being allowed relay of ‘Gurbani’ exclusively despite being a defaulter? You must clarify your position to the Sikh masses and Punjabi diaspora across the globe.
With regards,
Sukhpal Singh Khaira
MLA Bholath
