Punjab minister Sidhu doles out Lakhs from own pocket to help farmers

Punjab minister and former-cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, who earns close to Rs 80 lakhs every month, is donating it generously these days for things that are close to his heart and have moved him emotionally.

On Wednesday, Sidhu issues cheques amounting to Rs 17 lakh from his own bank accounts. These cheques were distributed to several farmers who lost their standing crop and earnings to fire that broke out after a short circuit in a transformer near the fields. A couple of days ago, Sidhu manifested similar zeal after he issued another cheque for Rs 2.5 lakh from his bank account to pay for the pending electricity dues of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s house in Khatkar Kalan village in Nawanshahr district of Punjab.

Sidhu, who handed over a cheque of Rs 2.5 lakh to the local deputy commissioner Sonali Giri, said he was pained to know that the power dues of the house of the revered freedom fighter were unpaid since long. The minister said martyrs are an inspiration to the people, which is why he was paying the cheque from his own account upfront. In fact, the bill amount was less that the amount paid by Sidhu. The excess amount will be utilized for upcoming bill payments.

The cheques totaling Rs 17 lakh were distributed to farmers today for a promise Sidhu made in April this year when the crops were damaged in fire in Rajasansi area in his constituency in Amritsar. Sidhu had announced that he would match up to whatever compensation the government would offer to these beleaguered farmers. The power bill amount paid by Sidhu will also cover the pending power bills of the Bhagat Singh’s memorial adjacent to the house of the freedom fighter.

In his poll affidavit filed ahead of the recent assembly elections in Punjab, the 53-year-old leader declared his net assets worth Rs 45.91 crore. He has declared his annual income to the tune of Rs 9.66 crore for the financial year 2015-16.