Kathmandu. Tribhuvan University (TU) professors who did not return to service for a long time after going on study leave have started returning the money.

Professors who have been on leave for a long time have started returning the amount after the government took concern over the misuse of study leave to the university.

According to the university, 41 professors have so far returned the amount. Out of this, Rs 10 crore 46 lakh 56 thousand 804 has been deposited in the pension fund of the university.

Out of 191 professors who were on study leave, 41 have returned their fees, according to probe committee coordinator Dr. Jeevan Kafle informed. According to him, 62 people have applied to the committee for the return of the money. Of them, the committee has issued letters to 54 people.

The TU has expedited the activities due to the interest and active participation of Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel. The ministry has also directed the professors who do not return on study leave to return the amount as soon as per the agreement.

Coordinator Kafle said that the process of returning the amount to the professors who did not return to service after going on study leave was going on and appealed to the teachers to pay the amount immediately to those who have not returned the money.

It is said the university has incurred loss of more than two billion rupees as the university professors did not return to service. According to the rules of the university, teachers and employees are entitled to study leave for five years.

Officiating Vice-Chancellor of the University, Dr Sushil Bahadur Bajracharya, urged the faculty members not returning to duty after going on study leave. He told RSS that the notice was published time and again after completing all the procedures as per the law. He said that if they do not come in contact with them within the stipulated time, they will be in accordance with the law.

Following the initiative of the Ministry, TU has formed a probe committee to find out the professors who misused the study leave and is recovering money from them.

After the news was published, TU had formed a three-member committee under the coordination of Dr Kafle to investigate the teachers and employees who did not return on study leave. Krishna Hari Acharya and Deepak Tiwari are the members of the committee.

As many as 398 professors were found misusing their study leave. Coordinator of the committee, Dr. Kafle said the University has been facing financial loss, academic problems and moral loss due to the increasing number of those who have gone abroad for study leave.

The TU Executive Council had formed an investigation committee on January 9, 2081. The report prepared by the probe committee includes 191 professors who did not return home and 207 of those who did not complete their studies by taking leave.

The probe committee has been issuing notices time and again to recover the amount from the professors who have not returned on leave. Preparations have been made to make public the names of those who did not return the money despite such reminders. The committee said it would submit its report to the university soon. According to the university, a professor has to return a minimum of Rs 10 lakh to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh.