A government primary school in Sarabha Nagar locality of Ludhiana has received a double dose of AAP-led Punjab government’s Sikhya Kranti, thanks to the upcoming Ludhiana West bypoll.
According to residents, two new classrooms constructed in the primary school with assistance from an NGO were inaugurated twice in less than a year — first by then AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi on June 28, 2024, and now by AAP Ludhiana West bypoll candidate Sanjeev Arora on April 11, 2025.
A visit to the school revealed that the signs of the old inauguration still remain. While the old plaque has been removed, the NGO Round Table India Foundation’s name is still readable under the fresh coat of paint on the outer facade of the two classrooms. To conceal the visible marks, a flex carrying CM Bhagwant Mann’s photograph and “Sikhya Kranti” logo has been installed. On the right side of the block too, the NGO’s name has been whitewashed.
In June 2024, then AAP MLA Gogi had inaugurated the two classrooms along with Round Table India’s area chairman Sumit Garg, and a plaque was installed in the block’s corridor carrying the names of both. “The NGO has supported the completion of both classrooms after the government grant was stalled midway and children had to sit in open verandah and corridors in scorching heat,” said a teacher.
Cut to April 2025. The new plaque credits CM Bhagwant Mann, education minister Harjot Bains and MP Arora for “two new modernised classrooms”.
A teacher requesting anonymity said: “We had received the first instalment of government grant for two new classrooms last year (Rs 8 lakh approx) and work was started. But the grants stopped midway and the next instalment did not arrive for months. There was no space to sit. Children had to study in open verandah and corridors in scorching heat and monsoon rains were on the way. That’s when the NGO stepped in and got the work completed.”
Meenu Padam, the school’s head teacher said: “The construction of classrooms was completed I joined the school in September last year. The second instalment of Rs 7 lakh approx came after I joined and we got other works done such as installing projectors, BALA (building and learning aid) paintings, ramp etc. Even now, the NGO keeps helping our children and they have distributed stationery, sports kits, T-shirts etc.”
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Harbhagat Singh, 47, a local resident and school’s alumnus, said: “We are a witness to the fact that the classrooms were completed with NGO’s assistance and then MLA Gogi had come for inauguration. Now the same classrooms were re-inaugurated by MP Arora. The MP has not contributed anything, why is his name on the plaque?”
MP Arora during inauguration on April 11. The whitewashed facade and the classroom
Harbhagat had also filed a complaint in 2023 to the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights stating how 809 children in this school were crammed in just seven rooms.
Kirpal Singh, another resident, said, “Even if they had to install the new plaque and get the classrooms re-inaugurated, why was the NGO’s name whitewashed? They should have acknowledged their contribution instead of doing this for political gains.”
Ludhiana district education officer (elementary) Ravinder Pal Kaur said that she wasn’t aware of the matter as she joined much later. “The smart classrooms are equipped with all facilities for which government grant was released. I have no idea about the earlier inauguration,” she said.
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Rajbir Singh Arora, area chairman of Round Table India, said that the NGO has nothing to do with politics. “We will keep working for the school like we did earlier,” he said.
Another new plaque was installed in the school but it was not inaugurated by the MP since the education department ordered to discontinue toilet inaugurations.
538 children and only 9 rooms
The school is still grappling with major space issues, with just 9 rooms for 538 children. There’s no space to construct more rooms as a part of the school’s land is also allegedly encroached, teachers said. “We have 104 pre-primary children and there’s only one room. Over a hundred children crammed in one room and sometimes it gets difficult to even breathe properly in summers,” said another teacher.
7 teachers on poll duty
Seven teachers from the school have been put on poll duty for the bypoll. “Seven of our teachers have been deputed as booth level officers (BLOs) and as the bypoll nears, they won’t be coming to the school. How can we manage studies and new admissions without them,” asked the head teacher.