A total of 238 university lecturers have violated bond agreements by not returning to the country after higher studies, University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Sampath Amaratunga said. “Of them, 39 have paid the bond fee fully, while 94 have been warned. Legal action will be taken against 17 university academics who have completely violated bond agreements and avoided paying,” he told the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).
It was also revealed at the COPE meeting that Lankan embassies in Europe are receiving complaints on academics who have violated bond agreements. “These are well-planned. Some are obtaining a loan from the University Provident Fund (UPF) and they name guarantors who are close to retiring age making it difficult for us to recover the bond fee if they fail to return,” he said. COPE Chairman Prof Ranjith Bandara requested a list of names of academics who have violated bond agreements, and instructed the UGC to report any proposals in six months’ time.