Punjab Education Revolution, The AAP govt faced massive backlash for installing plaques in schools of routine works such as toilet, classroom repairs/renovations.
Punjab Education Revolution 2025, Plaques, Half-Finished Bathrooms & The Rush To Inauguration?
In the name of “two new repaired washrooms”, the Government Senior Secondary School at Kundanpuri in Ludhiana has two under-construction rooms. They have no commodes, the walls have plaster, but are not painted. Brick-chips are spread on the floor that is yet to be cemented or tiled. Both washrooms do not have doors.
Ludhiana North MLA Madan Lal Bagga on April 7 had inaugurated “two renovated classrooms and two washrooms” at the school under the AAP government’s flagship Punjab Sikhya Kranti (education revolution) drive.
A shiny plaque, installed on the outer wall of the washrooms, reads: “With joint efforts of CM Bhagwant Mann, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and MLA Madan Lal Bagga, two bathrooms and two classrooms were dedicated to the students of Government Senior Secondary School, Kundapuri, on the completion of their repair and renovation”.
The ground reality, nearly 10 days later, however, is that the “the repair and renovation” is far from complete.
The day Bagga “inaugurated” the structure, two curtains had been installed at the front of the “repaired toilets” to conceal the incomplete work as they did even had the doors. The curtains since then have been removed. Bang opposite the “repaired washrooms”, students are using the old, stinking toilets.
Similar was the condition of two “repaired classrooms”. Cemented walls and gravel on the floor is all that classrooms have as of now- as the school continues to run in double shift due to shortage of rooms.
The AAP government on April 7 launched a 54-day ‘Sikhya Kranti’ as part of which about 25,000 small and big projects worth Rs 2,000 crore are to be inaugurated in 12,000 government schools till May 31, with each work including repairs having a separate plaque with the name of CM and education minister. The drive courted controversy with Opposition terming it as “Udghantan Kranti (inauguration revolution)” and a “ribbon-cutting” campaign for “toilet repairs”. Following backlash, teachers were last week ordered not to get plaques made for toilet works.
Speaking to Media, Aradhana Baghla, principal, said that they had received orders from the education department that the plaque should be installed reading that the work has been completed.
“We only obeyed the education department’s orders. The washrooms were covered with curtains as doors are yet to be installed and work is ongoing. Classrooms are also yet to be completed but we held the inauguration ceremony as per orders,” said the principal.
Asked why the school was running in double shift, she said: “We have over 700 students from classes 6 to 12. But rooms are not enough so class 6 to 10 are taught in the morning and classes 11, 12 in the evening. Even after two new rooms get functional, we will still be short of rooms. We are using labs also as classrooms due to lack of space”.
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When that issue Contect to MLA, Bagga said that he was “under the impression” that the work has been completed. “Even if it’s not completed, what is the issue in installing the stone? he added I will get it checked and get the work completed soon. One classroom has already been completed while rest will be done soon,” he added.
Inpute’s👉 from (Indian Express)