NRI donates 90,000 pounds for bowel cancer research in UK

LONDON: A 73-year-old Indian origin philanthropist has donated 90,000 pounds collected after an 800 km fund-rising walk for bowel cancer research here.

Balwant Singh Grewal, popularly known as 'Bobby Grewal' handed over to the money to St Marks Hospital Foundation after his 800-km marathon walk last year.

Grewal born in Punjab, migrated to Britain in 1958, had earlier donated 80,000 pounds to the Foundation after his walk from Scottish Parliament building to the House of Commons in London.

He had earlier also walked from Amritsar to Kanyakumari in India raising 50,000 pounds for bowel cancer research.

At a function organised yesterday to celebrate the success of his walk, Grewal, president of the India Association, said "I feel like walking to the summit of Mount Everest, across the Sahara from Morocco to Egypt and to Antarctic to raise funds for the charity.

"My dream will be a reality soon," he added. The septuagenarian's ambition is to raise 1 million pounds for research into bowel cancer and other bowel diseases for the St Mark's Hospital, Harrow, only specialist bowel disorder hospital in UK.

Bowel cancer refers to cancerous growth of cells in parts of large intestine, appendix and rectum.
A keen sportsman, Grewal at the age of 68 ran the London marathon in just over five hours in 2004. He also completed a walk covering 2,500 miles across India from Amritsar to Kanyakumari to raise funds.

Prominent among those present on the occasion were Baroness Sandip Verma, Dr Rami Ranger, leading NRI entrepreneur, Dominic Grieve, QC, MP, Shadow Justice Secretary and Prof Colin Green, Professor of Surgical Science at St Marks Hospital.

NRIs welcome Governor's move on special cell

CHANDIGARH: After announcement of formation of special wing to deal with property disputes pertaining to non-resident Indians (NRIs), city-based NRIs have welcomed the UT governor’s decision and hoped the authorities would now pay heed to their grievances.

Talking to TOI, an NRI couple Amarjit Singh Atwal and his wife Baljeet Kaur said since August 30 last year, they had been running from pillar to post for justice as one portion of their house in Sector-10 is in possession of another person and he wants them to vacate their own portion. The NRI couple is settled in England.

Atwal said the house was purchased by his father and in March 2009, his father and brother had sold their share to another person. Baljeet Kaur, wife of Amarjit Singh, said, “We arrived in India on August 30 and since then, the owner of the lower portion has been harassing us for the portion to be vacated.”

The couple has been filing numerous complaints in police station Sector-3 but every time, cops take preventive action. “As the case is a property dispute, we can’t interfere in the matter. Seeking legal remedy remains the resort then,” said a senior officer from Sector-3 police station. Meanwhile, the couple has filed a complaint with the UT governor in the hope of justice. President of NRI Sabha Punjab Kamaljeet Singh Hayre said, “There are more than 100 complaints of non-resident Indians (NRIs) belonging to Chandigarh which are pending with NRI Sabha Punjab and with this decision, we can hope these would be solved shortly”.

Hayre said a delegation of the NRI Sabha would meet the governor shortly and the Sabha management has decided to start a chapter of NRI Sabha for NRIs belonging to the UT.