Patna, Mar 29 (IANS): A woman assistant teacher in Bihar's Khagaria district was found taking salary for the past 5 months while staying in Gujarat, an Education Department official said on Tuesday.

The incident came to light when Block Education Officer Ram Uday Mahto went to the government primary school located at ward number 4 and found the teacher, named Seema Kumari, absent for a few months. She was deployed at this school on deputation.

"When we enquired with the department, it appeared that the department is releasing the monthly salary on the basis of attendance being shown by the headmaster of her original middle school located at Bhadas village," Mahto said.

"The primary school was sending the absentee report to her original school located at Bhadas village. Headmaster Vikas Kumar of the school converted her absentee attendance into attendance. On this basis of her attendance, the department was issuing her salary from September 2022.

"We have sent the report to the District Education Officer with the recommendation of stopping the salaries of Seema Kumari and Vikas Kumar. The department has done it," he added.

Sources have said that more than 400 teachers are on the radar of the Education Department for using the deputation ploy to take salaries without going to work at school for a a single day.