A social audit of three government schools in Ludhiana has highlighted a sharp contrast in school infrastructure. While School of Eminence in Sector 32 offers modern facilities, an old government senior secondary school in Jandiali continues to struggle with basic amenities.The audit was conducted by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Dass and his team, who visited the School of Eminence, Sector 32; Government Senior Secondary School, Jandiali; and Government Primary School, Jandiali.While the team appreciated the infrastructure and facilities at School of Eminence, it raised concerns over sanitation and the condition of toilets at Government Senior Secondary School, Jandiali. The team said its findings had been shared with Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains.At School of Eminence, Sector 32, the team found facilities including a swimming pool, ramps for students with disabilities, computer facilities and an AI lab. Dass praised the infrastructure, saying the school offered facilities comparable to those available at good private schools.He also highlighted the academic performance of the students, saying several had qualified for competitive examinations such as NEET and JEE.However, the team pointed out that the washrooms required better maintenance.More serious concerns were raised during the visit to Government Senior Secondary School, Jandiali. Located along the Chandigarh main road, the school has a long history, with its building dating back to 1936.Dass said the school had undergone maintenance work over the years, but its overall infrastructure remained old. He said students were attending classes in an ageing building and deserved facilities suited to present-day requirements.The team also raised concerns about hygiene and sanitation. It said the school had inadequate cleaning staff and that the condition of some toilets was unsatisfactory. Particular concern was expressed over the facilities available to girl students.According to the audit team, the school has around 500 girls but only three toilets for them, and some of the toilets did not have doors. The team said proper and safe sanitation facilities were essential to retaining girl students in schools.The third school visited was Government Primary School, Jandiali. The team appreciated the efforts of teachers to improve the learning environment and undertake creative work despite the limitations of the old infrastructure.Dass said the school had been developed as a smart school through the efforts of a teacher, with support from individuals and organisations. However, he said the age of the building limited the scope for providing modern facilities.The team also observed that the toilets required better maintenance.Education Minister respondsResponding to the social audit, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains told The Tribune that the government welcomed such feedback.“Thank you, Saurav, for visiting our government schools and for conducting an independent social audit. We welcome feedback — appreciation motivates us, and shortcomings help us improve,” he said.Bains said he had taken note of the issues highlighted by the team and would personally monitor their resolution.“Our government’s mission is clear: every child in Punjab deserves a safe, modern and high-quality government school. And we are committed to making that a reality,” he said.The minister said government schools were open to public audits and that the department was ready to acknowledge and address shortcomings.“We will keep working hard until each of our 20,000 government schools is up to the mark, and then work even harder to maintain those standards,” he added.Ravneet Bittu questions the visitFormer Railway minister Ravneet Singh Bittu also reacted to Saurav Dass’s visit.Bittu said, “Saurav Dass’s visit to a School of Eminence in Ludhiana, followed by Arvind Kejriwal’s tweet praising the visit, exposes this for what it really is — a staged PR spectacle masquerading as governance.”He added, “I recently visited the same School of Eminence and openly raised serious concerns about the dilapidated swimming pool and the poor condition of the playgrounds.”“If everything is truly as impressive as the government claims, why were these realities not shown to Saurav Dass?” Bittu asked.He further questioned whether the visit was intended to genuinely assess the school and address its problems or was simply another carefully choreographed photo opportunity designed to generate praise and headlines.“Punjab’s children deserve functioning facilities, quality education and accountability, but not PR exercises dressed up as governance,” he said.