Ludhiana: Admn rolls out control rooms after teacher collapses on duty

The decision followed mounting criticism from teachers’ unions and colleagues, who alleged that the incident laid bare the absence of any structured emergency response mechanism for employees deployed in the field under extreme weather conditions

A day after a government primary school teacher suffered a paralysis attack while on census duty amid the searing heatwave, the district administration on Wednesday ordered the establishment of census control rooms across all subdivisions to provide emergency assistance, logistical support and real-time coordination for field officials engaged in the ongoing exercise.

Fellow teachers alleged that despite repeated calls seeking assistance, no immediate ambulance or emergency medical support was arranged. (HT File)

The decision followed mounting criticism from teachers’ unions and colleagues, who alleged that the incident laid bare the absence of any structured emergency response mechanism for employees deployed in the field under extreme weather conditions.

Issuing the directions, additional deputy commissioner (general)-cum-additional district Census officer Poonam Singh instructed all sub-divisional magistrates to operationalise dedicated control rooms in their respective subdivisions and ensure continuous monitoring of staff deployed on Census duty. According to the orders, the control rooms will function as nodal centres for immediate assistance, emergency response and coordination for field personnel.

The move comes in the wake of an incident reported from Bhamian Kalan on Tuesday morning, where Ram Singh, a teacher posted at Government Primary School, Indrapuri, collapsed while conducting census-related work around 8.30 am. Originally a resident of Moga, Singh had been assigned census duty in Ludhiana owing to his place of posting.

Paasi Singh, another teacher from the same school, said residents initially mistook Ram Singh’s condition for intoxication after he suddenly collapsed on the roadside.

“A child from the locality recognised him as a teacher and informed another teacher living nearby. The supervisor was also contacted, but no immediate assistance arrived. By the time the school authorities informed me and I reached the spot, his condition had turned critical,” he said.

A relative of the teacher alleged that Ram Singh himself contacted the Census in-charge seeking help, but no ambulance was provided. “He was initially taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors advised him an injection costing around ₹60,000 as he had suffered a paralysis attack, but it was reportedly unavailable at the facility. He was later referred to Faridkot for advanced treatment. At present, he is unable to speak,” the family member said.

The incident has also reignited concerns among teachers over the deployment of employees — including women staff — far from their hometowns during the peak of the summer season without adequate safeguards or support systems in place.

Rupinder Singh Gill, general secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, said the absence of emergency helplines and coordinated support mechanisms had left field staff vulnerable. “Such incidents are bound to occur when employees working on field duty are left without emergency support, medical backup or proper coordination,” he said.