The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) conducted a social audit of three government schools in Ludhiana as part of its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign, assessing infrastructure, cleanliness and other basic facilities across 20 parameters.
CJP co-convener Saurav Das shared details of the audit on X along with a video showing the team's observations from the schools. While the team praised the infrastructure at the School of Eminence in Sector 32, it also highlighted maintenance and sanitation-related concerns at the schools it visited.
School of Eminence receives praise for infrastructure
Speaking about the School of Eminence in Sector 32, Das said the school had impressive infrastructure and that such facilities are not commonly seen in government schools.
However, he pointed out that the washrooms could be maintained better. The audit team also visited a senior secondary school and a primary school, where it found older infrastructure.
According to Das, one of the schools was established in 1936 and has been maintained by the Punjab government over the years. He said maintenance work had also been carried out in recent years but suggested that further infrastructure development was needed.
Audit flags cleanliness and washroom concerns
The CJP team also raised concerns over sanitation at the schools it visited. Das claimed that very few sanitation workers were visible across the three schools and that cleanliness required greater attention.
He further alleged that the condition of some washrooms meant for girls was poor, with some reportedly lacking doors. The observations were highlighted as part of the team's social audit.
CJP raises issue of mid-day meal workers' pay
Another concern highlighted by Das was the remuneration of women involved in preparing mid-day meals at the schools.
According to him, the workers are paid around ₹3,000, which he questioned as inadequate considering the current cost of living. The issue was among the concerns the CJP team said it raised with the state government.
Team meets Punjab education minister
Following the audit, the CJP team met Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and presented its observations.
Das said the team urged the minister to address the issues identified during the visits. According to him, Bains assured the team that the Punjab government would work on the concerns raised.
Arvind Kejriwal responds to audit
The social audit also drew a response from AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. Responding to Das's post on X, Kejriwal thanked him for highlighting the shortcomings and said that the government would work on them.
The audit comes amid continued discussions around the condition of government schools, infrastructure and basic facilities available to students. While CJP praised several aspects of the Schools of Eminence, it has called for improvements in areas where gaps were identified.
The Punjab government is yet to publicly detail the specific measures that will be taken in response to the observations shared by the CJP team.