18 Feb. 2013 Jallandhar Dainik Bhaskar

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Jalandhar, February 18

Now, Oberoi on mission “Save jailed women’s children”; honoured by NRI Sabha
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 18
Recently in the news for securing the release of 17 Indians who were on death row for killing a Pakistani in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai-based businessman Surinder Pal Singh Oberoi is nowadays on a new mission “Save jailed women’s children”.

Dubai-based businessman SPS Oberoi being honoured by NRI Sabha president JS Gill in Jalandhar on Monday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Perturbed over the plight of over 120 innocent children lodged in various prisons of Punjab, along with their prisoner mothers, Oberoi decided to construct kindergarten schools for these children to provide them a better childhood.
Also the president of non-government organisation Sarbat Da Bhalla, Oberoi told The Tribune that he was shocked to learn that over 120 children below six years were lodged in various jails with their prisoner mothers for no fault of theirs.
“I wanted to do something for these innocent children. To start with, I raised the matter with the then DC, SSP and Superintendent of Patiala jail. The Patiala district administration provided me 1,500 square feet land and the kindergarten school was set up there in November last year with the help of the Punjab Government .” He said. “Education and day care from eight am to five pm is being provided to nearly 13 children of the jailed women. Proper staff is appointed for caring and providing education to the children.”
Talking to The Tribune during his visit here on Monday, Oberoi said subsequently he decided to set up more kindergarten schools in five jails of Punjab, four jails of Haryana and one jail for Chandigarh for the children of prisoner mothers.
Oberoi said his NGO was taking up the matter with Punjab jail minister and district administrations concerned for setting up such schools for jailed children in Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Bathinda and Ferozepur jails of Punjab. The schools would become operational within two months after their construction as and when land was provided to his NGO, he added.
The Dubai-based businessmen said one such school would be set up in Ambala jail, whereas the place of setting up these schools in other three jails of Haryana was yet to be finalised.
Meanwhile, NRI Sabha Punjab honoured Surinder Pal Singh Oberoi for recently securing the release of 17 Indians who were on death row for killing a Pakistani in the United Arab Emirates.
Sabha president Jasvir Singh Gill, accompanied by former chairman of the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council advocate Navtej Singh Toor, sabha executive director Khushi Ram, advocate Prem Singh, NRIs KS Chopra, NS Kang and Satinder Singh honoured him for his relentless efforts of saving 16 Punjabis and one Haryana youth.
Speaking during the felicitation ceremony, Gill said, “I salute Oberoi for saving 17 Indians from gallows.”
On this occasion, former Bar Council chairman advocate Navtej Singh Toor said, “Some more NRIs will definitely follow his footsteps to save a number of other Punjabis and Indians stranded in various foreign countries due to lack of proper legal aid.”
Thanking NRI Sabha for honouring him, Oberoi said, “We can help in a better way for the Punjabis stranded in various foreign countries if his non-government organisation Sarbat Da Bhalla and NRI Sabha work in coordination.”

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