Patiala, Punjab: After the floods caused grave destruction in several areas of Patiala besides damaging the crops, the affected farmers of Shatrana areas got some relief as UK-based Surinder Singh Nijjer came to their rescue and offered them financial help.
Nijjer compensated each farmer with Rs 1,000 per acre of crop damaged and gave money to the tune of Rs 18 lakh among all the affected farmers of Shatrana. Nijjer, who hails from Jalandhar and is settled in UK, runs his own construction company. He has earlier also helped the flood-hit farmers.
Nijjer told the media persons that after seeing the immense damage in the Patiala areas on television, he couldn’t resist visiting India. “After visiting the flood-hit villages, I decided to help the affected farmers in the best possible manner. Thus, I decided to give them Rs 1,000 per acre damaged.”
He added that his mother Niranjan Kaur and Sant Baba Darshan Singh Ruli Wale (Amritsar) inspired him.
Nijjer has so far borne the expenses incurred on construction of about 1,500 houses for the needy. In Ghanuau (Patiala), he has got 600 houses constructed for the flood-hit.
Villages in Ghanaur are flood-prone and the poor whose houses are washed away by floods have to suffer a lot, he said. “If I can do something by providing them one-room house with a kitchen and toilet, it is gratifying,” he added.
Nijjer visited villages of Samana, Ghanaur and Patran yesterday. He attended the foundation ceremony of some of the new houses to be constructed for the flood-hit families. Interacting with family members of Bhartho Devi of Sassi Thai village in Samana, whose house was washed away by the recent floods, he assured them to get a house constructed.