Malerkotla school suffers due to administrative anomaly

The Government Primary School, Bahadurgarh, has been facing a peculiar administrative issue for several years. Geographically, it is located in old grain market, Ahmedgarh, in Malerkotla district, but it is under the administrative control of the Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO), Pakhowal, in Ludhiana district.

Authorities and office-bearers of the School Management Committee have stopped drawing the attention of higher authorities towards the administrative anomaly. To their relief, the dependence on physically visiting the BPEO office in Ludhiana has been reduced to some extent as administrative works like transference of grants and compliance of orders can be taken care of through the online system.

“Though my predecessors have tried to get the school under the BPEO, Jandali Khurd, in Malerkotla district, we have chosen to continue with the old system as most of administrative procedures can be accomplished online,” said head teacher Davinder Singh. He maintained that the staff members had to visit the Pakhowal office once in a while.

Established in 1952 in the shops of the grain market, the institution was once the only government primary education school for residents of Sushil Basti in Hargobindpura, Bazigar Basti and the Old Grain Market area.

Former president of the Municipal Council Ravinder Puri and former vice-chairman Market Committee, Kilarapur, Naresh Bhutta, both old students of the school, said the authorities had to work in double shifts in 1960s and 1970s as there was not sufficient accommodation for students.

“In 2002, philanthropists, including commission agents, pooled in money to get repaired the building that was on the verge of collapsing,” said Puri. He lauded the efforts of the office-bearers of the School Management Committee for making monetary contribution for providing facilities to the students, most of whom come from underprivileged families. Presently, 110 students are studying in five classes in the school. There are three teachers, including the head teacher. One teacher, who has been recently transferred here, is yet to join.

Punjab