Tony Blair's wife Cherie Blair, inaugurates school in Punjab

Kapurthala, November 18, 2008
Balwinder Dhaliwal

NRI Raj Loomba, 65, chairman of the Pushpawati Loomba Trust and Bibi Jagir Kaur ex-president of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) played a major role to inaugurate the renovated building of a government school in Dhilwan village of Punjab's Kapurthala district by Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair.

Cherie Blair is also the president of the Loomba Trust. She addressed students and started her speech with a 'Sat Sri Akal' and later joined the school students for a traditional dance. She said:

• Loomba, who hails from Dhilwan, studied in this school and presently provides scholarship of Rs 500 per month to 3,600 fatherless students all over the country.
• Girls are encouraged from Bibi Jagir Kaur who became the first woman SGPC chief only because of her education.
• I am really delighted to visit this school. I wish more girls come to study here.
• NRI Punjabis have played a big role in the UK's development

It is her second trip within a year. In January, Cherie had visited the school and gave a cheque of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Loomba Trust to the deputy commissioner for the developpment of thre school. The Punjab Gorvernment had also given a grant of Rs 50 lakh for the school to match this donation.

Cherie Blair

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