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Renovated at ₹5.5L, Ludhiana govt school to be razed
Ludhiana (north) MLA said the building was old and the student count was also increasing, which is why I have provided the funds for the new building
In what appears to be a sheer wastage of public money, the building of the Government Primary School (GPS) and Government High School (GHS), Chhawani Mohalla, which was renovated at a cost of ₹5.5 lakh over the past four months, will be demolished to make way for a new building of the school.
Reason: A grant of ₹60 lakh from the Member Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLA LAD) funds is to be spent on the new building.
It was in July when the GHS on the first floor of the building had received ₹4 lakh and the GPS on the ground floor ₹1.5 lakh under the Smart City project for the repair work of classrooms, building with learning aid and sanitation work, which was spent over the past four months.
However, now the district education office has told the school in-charges to temporarily vacate the building that houses 150 students of the GPS, and 81 of the GHS immediately, and shift the former to GPS, Shahi Mohalla, and the latter to the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Kundanpuri, for afternoon classes.
When contacted, in-charge of GHS, Chhawani Mohalla, Inderjit Kaur, said, “We have received the orders from the district education office and will shift to the other school on Monday.”
Ludhiana (North) MLA Rakesh Pandey, whose MLA LAD funds are being used for the new building, said, “The building was old and the strength of the students was also increasing at the school, which is why I have provided the funds to the authorities concerned to construct a new building.” .
Deputy district education officer, elementary, Kuldeep Singh, said, “The building will be demolished and a new one will be constructed in the next six months. The students and teachers have been told to shift on a temporary basis to other schools.”
When asked that the school authorities have already spent ₹5 lakh to beautify the premises, Singh said, “The students will get a new building, more number of classrooms and better learning environment.”
Sources said the authorities were requested to shift the students after the final examination in March, but to no avail. A government school teacher, requesting anonymity, said, “With just two months left in the final examinations, shifting the school at this time is not a great step as students will have to attend classes in another premises in the afternoon shift.”
A teacher at the GSSS, Kundanpuri, who did not wish to be named, said, “I take extra classes at the school from 8am onwards. If the school will function in the morning shift from 7.30am, how will I continue to take extra classes? At such a crucial time of studies, shifting other school students here will affect children here too.”
