Sangrur, April 1: The Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology in Lehragaga, Sangrur, which has remained closed for over three years, may soon be transformed into a medical college, officials said.
Ravinder Hundal, additional director of technical education, confirmed that the Punjab government is pursuing the legal process to transfer the institute’s land and buildings for the new project. “The proposal is under cabinet review, and a legal opinion has been sought from the advocate general regarding the transfer from the technical education department to the health department,” he said.
However, no timeline has been set for the completion of the project, leaving former staff members in prolonged uncertainty. The institute, originally established as a polytechnic in 1995 and upgraded to an engineering college in 2005, was shut down in 2019 due to financial instability. A review by Punjab’s technical universities—IK Gujral Punjab Technical University and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University—determined that the ₹11 crore annual expenses far exceeded its ₹1.94 crore revenue, making its operation unsustainable.
Despite the relocation of students to other institutions, over 100 regular professors have not received salaries in more than four years. “We have been waiting for our salaries for 41 months, and the situation remains unresolved. The case is still in court,” said Professor Harpreet Dhaliwal, one of the affected faculty members. The situation worsened in 2023 when termination letters were issued.
In August 2023, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the principal secretary of the technical education department to expedite property disposal and ensure staff salaries were paid. However, with no resolution in sight, the financial distress of the former employees remains a critical issue.
