Nearly 500 breached bond agreements:

UGC to recover financial assistance granted to Uni. Dons

Samanmalee Priyashanthi

A batch of nearly 500 university dons who proceeded to foreign countries for further education including post graduate degrees have breached their bond agreements by not returning to serve the country after completing their assignments. As such the University Grants Commission will take steps to recover the financial assistance granted to them under these scholarships. The UGC has already advised the respective universities to take necessary actions for the recovery of these monies for failure on the part of these dons to honour the bond agreement on their part, UGC Chairman Kshanika Hirimburegama said.

Hirimburegama said however dons who have still failed to complete their post graduate degrees would be exempted from this condition of repaying the scholarship grant if they provided a written guarantee that they would complete their post graduate qualification.

She said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had already announced a relief package to university dons who have failed to return to the country after going abroad for further studies. If this proposal was implemented steps would be taken to re-recruit such dons to state universities.