London, Oct 22: Indian-origin steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal has received a Special Recognition Award from the Sikh community in London for his outstanding contribution in setting up a $4-billion joint venture refinery in Punjab.
Receiving the award at a programme here last night, Mittal, Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, said: “The Sikh award given to a non-Sikh is very important... This award is for the Sikhs and the people of Batinda and Punjab.''
Referring to the refinery set up by Mittal Energy Ltd jointly with the state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd in Bhatinda, Mittal said he received “tremendous support” from the State Government and the refinery is fully operational with nine million tonnes of oil a year or 180,000 barrels a day.
Sant Baba Iqbal Singh, an educationist who set up hundreds of schools in Punjab, and Inderjit Kaur Ji, who has broadened the Pingalwara movement, received Sikh Lifetime Achievement awards.
Harpal Singh Kumar, CEO of Cancer Research UK, a leading cancer research charity, received the Sikhs in Charities award. Jagir Singh, who has served as a lecturer at The Guru Gobind Singh College, was chosen for the Sikhs in Education award.
Other recipients of the Sikh awards were Gurpreet Singh (India, Entertainment), Guruka Singh (US, Media), Rashpal Kaur (India, Sports) and Surender Singh Khandhari (UAE, Seva).
Paul Singh Uppal, the only Sikh Member of British Parliament, won the Sikh People's Choice award while Gurmant Singh Grewal of Canada), who was elected as an MP within six years of immigrating to Canada, won the Sikhs in Profession award.
Rajinder Singh Baryan, a respected businessman and philanthropist of Kenya, won the Sikhs in Business award, while Sukhinder Singh (US) won the Sikhs in Business-Business Woman award.
India's Suneet Singh Tuli, founder and CEO of DataWind Ltd, received the Sikhs in Business-Entrepreneur award.
