Ludhiana: Local advocacy groups have filed formal objections against a proposal by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) to convert land designated for a primary school into residential housing units.The Council of Engineers (COE) and the Public Action Committee (PAC) submitted their grievances to the principal secretary of the local bodies department and the LIT chairman, arguing the move violates urban planning laws and the constitutional right to education. The protestors claim that the site is earmarked strictly for “educational use” under the approved Ludhiana Master Plan.They contend that educational land is a distinct category designed to ensure balanced urban development and cannot be converted without a formal amendment to the Master Plan. Advocates argue school land is a community asset rather than “disposable” real estate meant for profit. They also have density concerns. Dr Amandeep Bains of the PAC warned that adding residential units would “aggravate traffic congestion and overburden civic infrastructure” that was never designed for higher population density.Lack of Local SchoolsThe dispute centres on the Rajguru Nagar locality. Despite the area being developed over 30 years ago, activists say the LIT has failed to establish a single primary school in the neighbourhood. “Instead of meeting the fundamental right of children protected under the Right to Education Act, the LIT is looking for extra earnings,” said Kapil Arora, a member of the COE. He noted that the absence of a local school forces children — those from underprivileged families particularly — to travel long distances, creating a significant barrier to education.Legal and Constitutional ObligationsThe PAC’s Kuldeep Khaira highlighted that the Rajguru Nagar scheme, established in the year 1991-92, specifically set aside this land to meet essential civic needs. He argued that converting the site contradicts the state’s constitutional duties under Article 21A (the Right to Education) and Articles 38 & 39 (mandates for social justice and equitable access to public resources). The groups demand that the LIT drop the proposal immediately and prioritise the construction of the long-overdue primary school instead.
