Questions are being raised over the working conditions and treatment of government employees engaged in census duty after an ETT teacher allegedly suffered a paralysis attack while conducting house enumeration work amid extreme heat in Ludhiana.
According to information received, Ram Singh, an ETT teacher posted at Government Primary School, Inderapuri Mangat-II, was carrying out census-related fieldwork in the Bhamian Kalan area on Tuesday morning when he suddenly collapsed during duty. Fellow teachers and local residents said he was conducting house counting work alone in scorching weather when he suffered the attack.
Sources said the teacher, a resident of Moga district, and had gone for census work after completing his school duty. Colleagues alleged that despite informing senior officials, no ambulance arrangement was made by the department and the ailing teacher had to be shifted to the hospital with the help of private vehicles.
Teachers claimed that Ram Singh was first taken to nearby private hospital, where doctors allegedly advised an injection costing around Rs 60,000, which was not available there. He was later referred to Faridkot for treatment. His condition was stated to be serious.
A teacher who spoke to the victim later said Ram Singh appeared to be in poor health and eventually left for his native village in a private vehicle without any official medical assistance from the department. “No ambulance was arranged. We are trying to gather complete written details regarding the incident,” the teacher said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), Ludhiana, strongly condemned the alleged harassment and action against employees engaged in census duty. The union cited the case of Guljinder Kaur, a Punjabi mistress posted at Government High School, Uppal, who had reportedly informed the department that she was unwell and unable to collect the census kit. Despite this, notices were allegedly issued to her and directions were later given for registration of an FIR.
The union further alleged that the teacher had already been exempted from duty through an official letter issued on April 27 as she was due to retire in October 2026.
In a joint statement, DTF district president Ramanjit Singh Sandhu and general secretary Rupinder Pal Singh Gill said the administration was adopting an “inhuman and insensitive” attitude towards employees. They alleged that several other employees facing health issues could also be under similar pressure.
ADC Poonam Singh announced that control rooms had been set up for emergency medical services for the teachers who are on census duty.
The incident has triggered resentment among teachers’ organisations, which demanded that the government ensure proper medical support, humane working conditions and immediate withdrawal of coercive action against employees deployed on census duty.
