Ever since the AIADMK-led government made an announcement to provide free laptops to students of government-aided schools in the state, seventeen-year-old S. Dileep of Kaalavasal had been eagerly awaiting the day he would receive one from the government. He is one of the several eligible candidates who are yet to get benefitted under the ambitious Tamil Nadu free-laptops scheme.
“We have not been given free laptops, while our friends in the Tamil medium wing of our school had received it,” said Dileep, who recently passed the higher secondary examinations and is currently preparing to attend the counselling session for law college admissions.
“The state government has distributed free bi-cycles, books and bus passes to us. It would be really useful, if the district administration intervened and helped us secure laptops,” he added.
As repeated pleas for free laptops fell on deaf ears, the group of old students from Mangayakarasi High School resolved to knock on the collector’s door looking for his assistance. On Monday, the group submitted a petition in the collectorate praying for the immediate disbursal of the laptops.
“The scheme will help disadvantaged students like us, whose parents can’t afford a computer,” said, S. Saravana Kumar, another student of Mangayarkarasi High School, Puttuthoppu.
After hearing their grievance, the collector directed the district educational officer to make immediate arrangements to distribute free laptops to the candidates under the state government’s scheme.
