Gurney Kalan (Lehragaga): Bangkok-based Sikh Pinderpal Singh today adopted 100 families of suicide victims at a programme here. Pinderpal will provide a financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to each family every month. He handed over a sum of Rs 1,500, including Rs 500 special assistance, to the families. Pinderpal promised to provide the assistance to them in the future on the condition that their children continue their studies.
The programme was jointly organised by Inderjit Singh Jaijee, chairman, Guru Nanak Educational Society, Chandigarh, and Mejindarpal Kaur, Director of United Sikhs, UK.
Widows from nearly 30 villages, including Chotian, Jawaharwala, Daska, Lehal Kalan, Kallar Bhaini,
Ghorrenab, Dhindsa, Mandvi, Gullari, Andana, Moonak, Bhullan and Hamirgarh, took part in the event.
The donation will be routed through United Sikhs while Baba Nanak Educational Society will look after the victim families. The society has been providing Rs 1,000 per month to over 300 such families in over 100 villages of Sangrur and Mansa districts.
Jaswinder Kaur (48) from Lehal Kalan village (near Lehragaga), who took part in the programme, said her husband, a small farmer, committed suicide over one-and-a-half years ago. He was under a debt of Rs 5 lakh. Jaswinder, who has a son and a daughter, said she had not got any assistance from the government.
Inderjit Singh Jaijee said farmers were slowly becoming labourers after selling their land.