Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008

The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008

Punjab Act No. 21 of 2008

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Department of Legal and Legislative Affairs, Punjab, Notification, dated The 20th June, 2008

No. 24-Legislative/2008. - The following Act of the Legislature of the State of Punjab received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 09th June, 2008, and is hereby published for general information :-

An Act to provide for the prevention of printing, publication, storage, distribution or supply of the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib by any person, other than the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or any body, authorized by it with a view to ensure their sanctity and respect in accordance with the Sikh Rehat Maryada and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto ;

Whereas it has been felt that while printing, publishing, storing, distributing and supplying the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib, private persons are committing grammatical errors and misprinting the proper words and are not following the Sikh Rehat Maryada and are thus hurting the religious feelings of the Sikh masses ;

Whereas the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is an esteemed and apex body of the Sikh masses and has recognition all over the world and is vested with the duty of due observance of the Sikh Rehat Maryada in all respects and therefore, it should be entrusted exclusively with the pious work of printing, publication, storage, distribution and supply of the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib ;

Whereas it has been felt that incidents of sacrilege of the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib at the time of their printing, publication, storage, distribution and supply by private persons have increased manifold ;

And whereas in these circumstances, it is deemed expedient that a law should be made to prevent the printing, publication, storage, distribution or supplying of the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib by the private persons.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Fifty- eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows :-

1. Short title and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008.

(2) It shall come into force at once.

2. Definitions.- (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, -

(a) "Bir of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib" means the holy scripture of the Sikhs, printed in any size or form and bound in one single volume, which is regarded as Word incarnate, the embodiment and presence manifest or spirit of the Ten Sikh Gurus ;

(b) "Deputy Commissioner" means an officer in-charge of a district, who is appointed as such by the State Government; and

(c) "Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee" means the Committee, named as such by the Board, constituted under the provisions of Part Third of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.

(2) The words and expressions used in this Act, but not defined, shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.

3. Printing, publication, storage, distribution and supplying of the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib.- (1) The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or any body authorised by it, shall print, publish , store, distribute and supply the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

(2) The intimation with regard to the volumes of the Birs to Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib whether finally printed or under process, existing at the time of the commencement of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008, with any person, shall be given by the person concerned in writing to the Deputy Commissioner within a period of fifteen days of coming into force of this Act.

(3) On receipt of the intimation, referred to in sub-section (2), the Deputy Commissioner shall constitute a Committee, consisting of the following members to assess and determine the Bheta of the existing volumes of the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib, namely :-

(a) One member, to be nominated by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee;

(b) One officer, who should be a Sikh, not below the rank of the Extra Assistant Commissioner, to be nominated by the Deputy Commissioner;

(c) One person, who should be a Sikh, engaged in the business of printing and publication, to be nominated by the Deputy Commissioner : and

(d) If a Sikh Officer or person of the categories mentioned in sub- clauses (b) and (c) above, is not available, then the Deputy Commissioner shall nominate another respectable Sikh Officer or person of any other local body or organization.

(4) The Committee, constituted under sub-section (3), shall assess and determine the Bheta of the volumes of the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib referred to in sub-section (3) within a period of thirty days from the date of intimation, to be given under sub-section (2), and convey the same to the Deputy Commissioner and the person, who is in possession of those volumes.

(5) The Bheta, so assessed and determined, shall be paid by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to the person concerned within a period of thirty days from the date of assessment and determination, made by the said Committee.

Explanation : In this section, the term "Bheta" means the token consideration, received from any person by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or any body, authorized by it for distributing, providing or supplying the Birs of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

4. Prohibition.- No person, other than the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or any body authorised by it, shall print, publish, store, distribute and supply the Bris of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib after the commencement of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008.
5. Penalty.- Whoever contravenes the provisions of this Act, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to two years and with fine, which may extend to fifty thousand rupees.
6. Protection of action taken in good faith.- No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the State Government or its officer or official in respect of anything, which is done in good faith or intended to be done in pursuance of the provisions of this Act.
7. Repeal and saving.- (1) The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Ordinance, 2007 (Punjab Ordinance No. 9 of 2007), is hereby repealed.

(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the Ordinance, referred to in sub-section (1), shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act.