The Union government has issued fresh orders asking members of the All India Services to execute an agreement binding themselves, their heirs, executors and administrators to refund all expenses incurred by the government on their study leave if they fail to resume duty afterwards.
Alleging that Arvind Kejriwal, now the Aam Aadmi Party chief, had violated bond rules by quitting his job before completing the mandatory three years of service after a study leave on full pay, the Income Tax Department under the then UPA government had in 2011 demanded a refund of Rs. 9.2 lakh before acceptance of his resignation from the Indian Revenue Service.
According to the latest Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) order, the officers would have to refund the amount in the event of them failing to resume duty or resigning or retiring from service or otherwise quitting service after the expiry of the period of study leave, or failing to complete the course.
Earlier, the officers were required to execute a bond agreeing to return to duty for a specific period after expiry of the study leave. The provision has been revised in the wake of certain cases wherein officials kept extending their courses. “It has come to the notice of this department that the provisions of the aforesaid bond are being circumvented and officers who have availed study leave proceed on prolonged spells of leave... and thus do not put in active service ... as indicated in the bond,” said the order.
