In ‘diaspora’ villages, people banking on NRIs than netas
Shariq Majeed | TNN | Updated: Apr 8, 2019, 09:54 IST
NRIs and villagers raising funds at Kamalpura villageIt’s election time, but villages in Jagraon belt with a sizeable population of Non Resident Indians (NRIs), are not waiting for big announcements on development from politicians.
They are working in tandem with ‘sons of the soil’ NRIs to change the face of their villages.
A remark by Kaddon villagers is telling: “The NRIs are more important than political leaders for us.”
Chamkaur Singh, a farmer from Chakkar village which is known for work done by NRIs, says, “For us, the family of NRI Late Ajmer Singh Sidhu is more significant than politicians who come to seek votes and make tall promises at the time of polls. They have provided money for the best sewerage system, wider roads, NRI guest house, Panchayat Ghar, clean water supply and the Sher-e-Punjab Sports Academy.”
A dharamshala
Woman gold medallist boxer Mandeep Kaur Sandhu is a product of this sports academy.
Since the village is known for its NRI-aided infrastructure, the politicians only make a perfunctory visit here, say villagers. Chakkar has over 100 NRI families.
Tourists in a boat in the pond at Chakkar village
At Kamalpura village, a group of villagers has collected Rs 35 lakh – a bulk of it from NRIs and their kin. “We have to collect money for the Rs 6-crore advanced sewerage system being constructed with the help of Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal… If we wait for government funds, we may have to wait for 70 years, but this way we expect to get the money in next few years,” said Kamalpura village head Sukhwinder Singh. “NRIs are like the government for us as they do so much for the village,” he added.
The NRIs say that they owe it to the villages they belong to. “We are not concerned about what the government or elected representatives do for our village. We love the village we were born in. The money is the least we can provide for its development,” said Amarjit Singh, an NRI from village who runs a transport business in England. He and his brothers recently contributed Rs 11 lakh, and can be credited with starting a private college for girls which has made a difference to female students in 15 villages of Jagraon, Dakha, Raikot and Barnala areas.
Kamalpura and an aerial view of sewerage treatment plant at Chakkar
Balwinder Singh of Kamalpura village made it plain that he would not have educated his daughter beyond Class XII because of security concerns. ‘’Today my daughter is a nurse in England after graduating from the village college.” There are many more like her.
It’s the same story in Kaddon in Doraha.
“With the active participation and contribution by NRIs we have set up a Kaddon Nishkam Sewa Society for the development of village. We can spend as per our wish for the development of village and the cost of work turns out to be lower than government projects,” village sarpanch Parminder Singh pointed out.
Jora Singh, an elderly farmer commented that political party leaders are visible only during elections.
Gurdip Singh, who lives in Canada, said he wanted to make his village shine vis-àvis infrastructure and to help the needy.
“With some help from NRIs, we have got marriages of many poor girls solemnised. Also with the contribution of the NRIs, we spend on the poor patients who are unable to afford costly treatment,” said Davinder Singh, sarpanch of Chankoian Khurd village.
They are working in tandem with ‘sons of the soil’ NRIs to change the face of their villages.
A remark by Kaddon villagers is telling: “The NRIs are more important than political leaders for us.”
Chamkaur Singh, a farmer from Chakkar village which is known for work done by NRIs, says, “For us, the family of NRI Late Ajmer Singh Sidhu is more significant than politicians who come to seek votes and make tall promises at the time of polls. They have provided money for the best sewerage system, wider roads, NRI guest house, Panchayat Ghar, clean water supply and the Sher-e-Punjab Sports Academy.”
A dharamshala
Woman gold medallist boxer Mandeep Kaur Sandhu is a product of this sports academy.
Since the village is known for its NRI-aided infrastructure, the politicians only make a perfunctory visit here, say villagers. Chakkar has over 100 NRI families.
Tourists in a boat in the pond at Chakkar village
At Kamalpura village, a group of villagers has collected Rs 35 lakh – a bulk of it from NRIs and their kin. “We have to collect money for the Rs 6-crore advanced sewerage system being constructed with the help of Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal… If we wait for government funds, we may have to wait for 70 years, but this way we expect to get the money in next few years,” said Kamalpura village head Sukhwinder Singh. “NRIs are like the government for us as they do so much for the village,” he added.
The NRIs say that they owe it to the villages they belong to. “We are not concerned about what the government or elected representatives do for our village. We love the village we were born in. The money is the least we can provide for its development,” said Amarjit Singh, an NRI from village who runs a transport business in England. He and his brothers recently contributed Rs 11 lakh, and can be credited with starting a private college for girls which has made a difference to female students in 15 villages of Jagraon, Dakha, Raikot and Barnala areas.
Kamalpura and an aerial view of sewerage treatment plant at Chakkar
Balwinder Singh of Kamalpura village made it plain that he would not have educated his daughter beyond Class XII because of security concerns. ‘’Today my daughter is a nurse in England after graduating from the village college.” There are many more like her.
It’s the same story in Kaddon in Doraha.
“With the active participation and contribution by NRIs we have set up a Kaddon Nishkam Sewa Society for the development of village. We can spend as per our wish for the development of village and the cost of work turns out to be lower than government projects,” village sarpanch Parminder Singh pointed out.
Jora Singh, an elderly farmer commented that political party leaders are visible only during elections.
Gurdip Singh, who lives in Canada, said he wanted to make his village shine vis-àvis infrastructure and to help the needy.
“With some help from NRIs, we have got marriages of many poor girls solemnised. Also with the contribution of the NRIs, we spend on the poor patients who are unable to afford costly treatment,” said Davinder Singh, sarpanch of Chankoian Khurd village.
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