Even as the Punjab Government continues to highlight its ‘Sikhya Kranti’ campaign and claims to have transformed government schools, around 200 students at Government Primary School, Sati Sudha, near Samrala Chowk, were left without electricity on Monday after the power connection was disconnected over the non-payment of a Rs 42,000 bill.The bill had reportedly remained unpaid for several months, leaving primary school students to study without lights or fans in the peak summer heat.The school, spread over barely 200 square yards, has been functioning from the same cramped premises for more than four decades. Nearly 200 students, from Nursery to Class V, are accommodated in a single hall where all classes are conducted simultaneously due to a shortage of classrooms.With the electricity connection snapped on Monday, the already difficult learning conditions have worsened. As temperatures remain high, students attended classes without fans, making conditions uncomfortable for both children and teachers.The school has only five teachers for all classes. Teachers said the lack of space makes teaching a daily challenge. Since all classes share one hall, when one teacher begins a lesson, the others have to lower their voices or pause to avoid disturbing students.A teacher, requesting anonymity, said, “It is impossible to conduct five classes at the same time in one hall. When one teacher explains a lesson, the others have to wait or adjust. Now, with no electricity, the situation has become even more difficult for young children.”The school also lacks a playground or any open space, leaving students with little opportunity for sports, athletics and activity-based learning, that form an essential part of primary education.Parents expressed concern over the school’s condition, questioning why children should suffer because of pending utility bills and poor infrastructure. They said the authorities should have ensured the electricity bill was paid before the power supply was disconnected.Residents said that despite repeated claims of improving government schools under the state’s education reforms, the condition of the school presents a different picture. They questioned how a government primary school with nearly 200 students could continue to function without electricity, adequate classrooms or even a playground.District Education Officer Dimple Madan said, “These are smart meters, and I will direct the officials to recharge the school’s electricity connection at the earliest so that students do not suffer.”