New ₹9 crore building, but Ludhiana students stuck in cramped classrooms still

Despite the construction of a new building at a cost of approximately ₹9 crore, approximately 1,500 students at Government Senior Secondary School Indrapuri, continue to study in the cramped old building, covering an area of only 280 Guz. The existing building comprises 15 poorly designed and ventilated classrooms, making it difficult to accommodate desks for students, leaving minimal space for teachers to stand or write on the board.

The new school building project, initiated in 2016, has seen the involvement of three different governments - Shiromani Akali Dal (2016), Congress (2017-2022), and currently, the Aam Aadmi Party (2022-present). Students who joined in Class 6 are now in Class 12, on the brink of leaving the school. However, their dream of moving to the new building with facilities like a swimming pool and play court remains unfulfilled, as they still sit in the cramped classrooms of the old building.

“I first heard about the new school building when I was in Class 6. I felt studying in the confined space with no play area or room for morning assemblies would be worth it once we shift to the new school. In Class 10, we attended an inauguration and were told that this building is now ours. Then Covid-19 struck, and now, I am in the last week of our Class 12 session,” a Class 12 student from Indrapuri said.

After being taken under the School of Eminence, AAP’s flagship program, the school introduced all streams, including commerce and science, in 2023, alongside the existing arts options. However, students admitted to the school with the expectation of moving to a new building find themselves still contained in the same old congested classrooms, lacking lab facilities essential for practical learning.

“After clearing the SOE exam, we were told to take admission here with the assurance that the school would shift to the new building soon. However, a year has passed, and we have taken classes in cramped rooms without labs or a library. It’s only ‘eminent’ in name,” a Class 11 medical student said.

Teachers reveal that they have been hearing about plans to migrate to the new building since they joined the school, but the idea of shifting has remained confined to discussions without practical implementation.

Progress vs stagnation

Notably, the school progressed from the status of a primary education institution to middle, then high, and now senior secondary school, but the capacity of the school has remained the same.

“With enrollment rising under the SOE program, the problems have exacerbated. We used to offer only arts, and now we offer all four streams without labs. The condition worsens in summers with poor ventilation in classrooms and overcrowding. It is high time to move before parents and students start switching to other schools, adversely impacting the hard-earned increase in enrollment,” a teacher at the school said.

Jasvinder Singh, the school principal, reasoned, saying, “It is challenging to run a school in a small confined space, but we will shift only once the building gets all the required infrastructure like desks and appliances for the lab.”

“Some updates were made just last month to enhance security and efficiency for students. Tenders are already out for furniture, and we are looking forward to migrating as soon as every facility is in place,” he added.

The upgrade that wasn’t

The construction of Government Senior Secondary School in Urban Estate. Sector 32, Samrala Chandigarh road, spans an area of 2.91 acres. The project, developed by Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), incurred a cost of around ₹ 9 crore. The three-story building has 21 classrooms across the ground, first, and second floors, dedicated spaces for physics, biology, and chemistry labs, staff rooms, a principal’s room and a library. The facility includes a storage area, a computer lab, and a toilet block.

Provision has been made for three stair blocks and one ramp connecting all floors. A playground has been incorporated for student recreation, and the building’s structure includes areas for horticulture, framed structures, indoor and outdoor water supply, sewerage services, a fire-fighting system, and indoor and outdoor electrification. Additionally, the school boasts a swimming pool.

Former MLA Ranjit Dhillon, speaking about SAD’s contribution to the school, said, “During my tenure in 2016, I managed to secure this land at an estimated cost of ₹5.5 crore. The then chief minister (CM) Prakash Singh Badal wanted it operational by April 2018, but the government changed. The Congress did not start construction until the latter half of their power.”

Former Congress MLA Sanjay Talwar, alleging that the government delayed letting students move to the new building for political credit, said, “The construction faced delays due to Covid. However, only two months after AAP came to power, the building was ready to move in. The government did not do it immediately because they were afraid the credit would go to Congress.”

Despite multiple attempts, Daljit Grewal, AAP’s sitting MLA, remained unavailable for comments.