(1)Any fifty or more Sikh worshippers of a gurdwara, each of whom is more than twenty-one years of age and was on the commencement of this Act [or, in the case of the extended territories from the commencement of the Amending Act] [Inserted by Punjab Act No. 1 of 1959, Section 8(a).] resident in the police station area in which the gurdwara is situated, may forward to the [appropriate Secretary to Government] [Substituted for the words 'Secretary to Government, Transferred Departments,' by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937.] so as to reach the Secretary within one year from the commencement of this Act or within such further period as the [State] [Substituted for the words 'Provincial' by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950.] Government may by notification fix for this purpose, a petition praying to have the gurdwara declared to be a Sikh Gurdwara:Provided that the [State] [Substituted for the words 'Provincial' by the Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950.] Government may in respect of any such gurdwara declare by notification that a petition shall be deemed to be duly forwarded whether the petitioners were or were not on the commencement of this Act [or, in the case of the extended territories, on the commencement of the Amending Act, as the case may be,] [Inserted by Punjab Act No. 1 of 1959, Section 8(b).] residents in the police station area in which such gurdwara is situated, and shall thereafter deal with any petition that may be otherwise duly forwarded in respect of any such gurdwara as if the petition had been duly forwarded by petitioners who were such residents:Provided further that no such petition shall be entertained in respect of any institution specified in schedule I or schedule II unless the institution is deemed to be excluded from specification in schedule I under the provisions of section 4.
