Georgia victims’ kin offered financial aid

Coming to the help of families who lost their loved ones in the Georgia gas leak incident recently, Dubai-based hotelier and philanthropist SPS Oberoi on Friday visited houses of the victims to offer them financial aid.

Oberoi has decided on helping the families by offering them Rs 5,000 as pension, bearing education expenses of their children, depositing money for wedding of daughters of the victims and jobs to the spouses of sole bread-earners in the various centres run by the Sarbat Da Bhala Trust.

In Amritsar, Oberoi met the family of victim Sandeep Singh. “I have adopted his six-year-old daughter. She came to me and said she aspired to become a doctor. Her way of sharing her dreams to me was so impressive that I straightaway told her that I have adopted her. I have promised her that I shall nurture all her dreams, even if she changes her mind to become an engineer or a pilot,” said Oberoi.

In Jalandhar, he met the family of Ravinder Kala. He met his wife Kanchan, two daughters Harshita and Deepika and son Arman. He told the family, “Your monthly pension of Rs 5,000 shall start from tomorrow onwards. I shall also pay Rs 5,000 per month as school fee of all three kids. Since Kanchan is trained in stitching and embroidery, our trust will open a stitching centre for her.”

Oberoi said of the 11 victims, there were six families who needed aid.