Multiple plaques unveiled for various works at every school under drive

Inaugurating multiple works in schools as part of the Sikhya Kranti drive is state government’s idea of modernising the education system. Different plaques for boys’ and girls’ washrooms and construction of a boundary wall were inaugurated at government schools where functions to mark the same were held on Monday.

When The Tribune team visited one of the schools where an inauguration programme was scheduled, foundation stones covered with red satin cloth in different corners were found waiting to be unveiled.

The state government is on a spree to inaugurate new schools and upgraded infrastructure under the ‘Sikhya Kranti’ drive in government schools but is it the real upgrade or just an exercise to glorify the drive launched by the government.

On Monday, infrastructure upgrade works were inaugurated at Khanna, Sahnewal and Ludhiana city.

A visit to a few schools revealed only inauguration of the upgraded infrastructure, renovation and repair works was being done. Amusingly, different plaques were installed for different works. In one school, four plaques were installed and four inaugurations were done on the same campus. Schools are yet to receive the money spent on installation of plaques and organisation of the function and principals are left to shell out money from their own pockets.

At Government Senior Secondary School, Sunet, four plaques were installed at different places, which included a boundary wall, construction of a boys’ washroom and a girls’ washroom and a smart classroom. At Government High School, Barewal Awana, two inaugurations were done, one for additional classrooms and one for the boundary wall while at Government Primary School, Sunet, inauguration of three under-construction classrooms was done. At Government Primary Smart School, 7B, a classroom has been inaugurated while at Government Middle School, Housing Board, a classroom and a boundary wall had been inaugurated.

Schools have been asked to install granite plaque and Rs 5,000 has been earmarked per plaque but the actual cost has increased the sanctioned amount. Schools have been asked to put up separate plaques for each work. In addition to installing plaques, the arrangement of the function and making other arrangements such as arranging tea and snacks were also done by the school itself. For the arrangements, primary and middle schools were sanctioned Rs 5,000, secondary and high schools Rs 10,000 and senior secondary schools Rs 20,000.

Principal of a school on the condition of anonymity said though the amount had been earmarked for installation of a plaque and holding the function but they are yet to receive the money. “The entire expenses have been borne by us. The amount announced for the installation of plaques was Rs 5,000 but the actual cost has reached Rs 6,000.

Another teacher from a government school in Ludhiana district where an inauguration was held on Monday said they failed to understand the logic behind installing different plaques for different works. Even the boundary wall has been inaugurated. “It seems sheer wastage of money and instead, only one plaque would have suffice. We are spending money from our own pockets and are left with no other option to bow to the instructions of the government,” he said.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora inaugurated a series of infrastructure development projects worth Rs 81 lakh in four government primary, middle and high schools under the ‘Punjab Sikhya Kranti’ programme, initiated by the state government. Additionally, he announced that he would allocate Rs 10 lakh from his MPLAD funds for further infrastructure development in the schools.

Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian inaugurated a number of infrastructure development projects in various government schools in Sahnewal. The projects include new smart classrooms, science labs, boundary walls and separate toilets for girls and boys as well as sports grounds. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond inaugurated the infrastructure development projects worth ?79.85 lakh in six government schools of Khanna.

Meanwhile, MP Sanjeev Arora took hold of the maths book of one of the students at a school and asked her a few questions, which the student was unable to answer. A teacher then asked him to give another student a chance who was also not able to answer his question, which put teachers standing around him in an embarrassing situation.

Ludhiana