(1) This Act may be called the Punjab Sikh Gurdwaras Board (Transitional Provisions) Act, 1953.

(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 15th of August, 1947.

For the purposes of section 53 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 (Punjab Act VIII of 1925), any vacancy occurring in the Board constituted in exercise of powers conferred by Article 9(2) of the India (Adaptation of Existing Indian Laws) Order, 1947, and as notified in Punjab Government, Home Department General (Gurdwaras) notification No. 515, dated the 8th of May, 1948, shall be filled in the same manner as it would have been filled before the 15th of August, 1947, as if it had occurred before that date:

Provided that any vacancy occurring in the Board referred to therein, in regard to a constituency now comprised in the territories known as West Punjab (Pakistan) or the members nominated by the Rajpramukh of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union under section 43, sub-section (1), part (3) of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, shall be left unfilled:

Provided further, that the provisions of this section shall not affect the nominations made by the Rajpramukh under the section aforementioned prior to 1st April, 1953.

1. For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 24th March, 1953, page 370 for proceedings in the Assembly, see Punjab Legislative Assembly Debates 1953.

2. Received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 2nd May, 1953, and was first published in the Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary) of the 6th May, 1953.]