Govt College (East) starts sans building

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 13

First session of Government College (East) began on Monday at a community centre as the construction of college building is yet to start. It seems the government was in a hurry to make an announcement about fulfilling its promise made during the elections.

Sources said inaugurating classes on Monday was mere eyewash but in reality, the classes would be held at SCD Government College. The teachers of the same college will teach this batch of Government College (East) and the students will be using the facilities at SCD Government College only.

Principal of SCD Government College Dharam Singh, who is also principal of Government College (East), said all preparations for conducting classes of the new session had been done. When asked whether teaching staff had been recruited, he replied the staff of SCD Government College would be teaching the students.

At present, the college offers only BA course but from the next academic session, when a building will be constructed, the college will also offer under graduation courses, such as BCom, BSc, BBA and BCA.

The first batch consists of 80 students and all seats were filled in the first counselling. This opportunity came as a boon for those students who had failed to get admission in other two government colleges.

One of the students said he was happy over the fact that he got admission in a government college but the major question nagging him was how the authorities will conduct classes at a community centre. “We were earlier told that the classes will be held at SCD Government College on Monday,” he said.

MLA Sanjay Talwar said the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) had transferred five acres of prime land located opposite Vardhman Mill on Chandigarh Road for the construction of the college building. He said construction would start from next month and funds worth Rs 12.5 crore would be spent on it.

He said SCD Government College came into being in 1920 while the Government College for Girls was started in 1943. It was after a gap of 75 years that a new government college had been started in the city. He said the first batch comprised 80 students of BA first year and from next session, the number would go up and new courses, such as BCom and BBA, would also be started here.

He said the Ludhiana East constituency did not have a college and ever since he became an MLA, opening a government college here was his main agenda.