Chandigarh, Jul 14 (IANS): The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday said the live telecast of the Gurbani from the holiest Sikh shrine, Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar will be aired on its YouTube channel from July 24.

This announcement was made in the wake of its decision not to renew a pact with PTC channel for the Gurbani telecast. The 11-year pact is expiring on July 23.

After the executive committee meeting, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami told the media in Amritsar that the arrangement for the YouTube channel would be in place till the SGPC’s satellite channel is launched.

“All rights of the telecast will be with the SGPC.”

The decision was taken on the recommendation of a sub-committee constituted on the edict of Akal Takht that asked the SGPC to launch its own channel for the live telecast of the Gurbani.

Since 1998, the SGPC had given the rights to telecast the Gurbani to channels under which the current agreement was with G-Next Media Private Ltd (PTC channel). The last agreement was signed on July 24, 2012, for 11 years. Under the agreement, G-Next Media was to give Rs 1 crore annually with a 10 per cent annual increase to the education fund of the SGPC.