As per a survey conducted in villages of a few blocks of Doaba, NRIs, especially those who left for foreign shores long ago, have started looking homewards and were donating to make the lives of their brothers living here better.

The survey conducted by Satnam Chana, former media director of NRI Sabha, Punjab, and presently Editor of Vichar Manch, a Punjabi magazine, found that NRIs have invested Rs 200 crore in about 477 villages of seven blocks, which he selected randomly, of the Doaba region. And in the entire region, they have put in Rs 1,000 crore.

He had conducted the same survey five years back too in same villages and found that NRIs had invested about Rs 200 crore from late 1980s to 2002 (about 15 years).

"On an average, Rs 41 lakh has been invested in each village during the past five years. Money has been donated especially for education and health sectors," added Chana.

He said earlier NRIs used to donate at individual levels, but now they have formed development societies, in which panchayats guide them about the needs of the village and collective decisions were taken.