Punjab govt proposes converting closed Lehragaga institute into medical college
According to Ravinder Hundal, additional director, technical education, the Punjab government has proposed transforming the institute’s land and buildings into a medical college, with the legal process currently underway.
The Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology at Lehragaga town in Sangrur, which has been closed for over three years, may soon be repurposed into a medical college.
According to Ravinder Hundal, additional director, technical education, the Punjab government has proposed transforming the institute’s land and buildings into a medical college, with the legal process currently underway.
Hundal confirmed that the proposal is under cabinet review and that a legal opinion has been sought from the advocate general regarding the transfer of the campus from the technical education department to the health department. “The land and buildings of the Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute will be used for a medical college, and we are adjusting professors on an ad hoc basis in universities or other government departments,” Hundal stated. However, he noted that no specific deadline for the completion of the project is available at this time.
The fate of the institute, which has been lying dormant since its closure in 2019 due to severe financial crisis, has left many in limbo, particularly the staff members who have faced significant financial hardship. The government’s proposal to convert the campus into a medical college comes after years of uncertainty surrounding the future of the institution.
Theinstitute was originally founded in 1995 as a government polytechnic and later upgraded to an engineering college in 2005. However, by 2019, the institute was struggling with a massive annual deficit of ₹9 crore, with expenses totaling ₹11 crore against an income of just ₹1.94 crore. A review committee from two prominent technical universities in Punjab—IK Gujral Punjab Technical University and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University—confirmed that the institute’s financial instability made it unsustainable, leading to the relocation of its students to other institutions.
In response to the crisis, the Punjab government decided to shut down the institute in 2019 and explore alternative educational uses for the campus, such as establishing an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) or a degree college. While some steps were taken to ensure students could complete their courses in other colleges, the staff, including over 100 regular professors, have not been paid for their services in over four years.
Professor Harpreet Dhaliwal, who has been awaiting his salary for over 41 months, said, “We have been waiting for our salaries for over 41 months, and the situation remains unresolved. The case is still in court.” The financial woes of the staff worsened when termination letters were issued to the professors in 2023, adding further strain to the situation.
In August 2023, the Punjab and Haryana high court intervened, directing the principal secretary of the technical education department to expedite the disposal of the institute’s property and ensure that staff salaries were paid. However, as of now, the staff remains in a state of uncertainty, with no resolution in sight. The unresolved financial issues and the fate of the staff remain critical concerns.
