: Seventeen Headmasters and headmistresses of Government Higher Secondary schools in various districts have been served recovery notices, asking them to pay for laptops reported missing from their schools, officials said.
This includes the HM of Kadathur GHSS school at Kadathur, from where 64 of 204 laptops were reported missing on Sept 30 last year. She has been asked to pay Rs.7.37 lakh to the Education Department before March 31, 2014.
The order was issued by the Chief Educational Officer of the Directorate of Higher Education last week, they said.
Free Laptops are being distributed under the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Special Scheme to higher secondary and college students.
The 204 laptops were were kept in a room in the Kadathur GHSS for distribution to students on Sept 20 2013, awaiting a date for distribution from the minister, they said.
But on Sept 30, 64 pieces were found missing when cross checked by the HM following information from the public who found 15 of them on the ground behind the school.
Following the HM's complaint, police registered a case.
Tamil Nadu Government Higher Secondary School Head Masters Association State Treasurer R Ponmudi said the HM of Dindigul GHSS had moved Madras High Court bench at Madurai for a direction to the department to drop the action.
Dharmapuri CEO, K Maheswari said departmental action against the Kadathur HM would be taken after getting instructions from the directorate.
