Can I Resign from Government Service Without Paying the Bond Amount? Seeking Advice on Bond Obligations

I am a Geologist by profession and presently working as a Group A officer at the Government of West Bengal. I joined the service in the year 2013 and have been working here since then. My service was confirmed in the year 2018.

Alongside my job, I joined a part-time PhD course at NIT Durgapur in the year 2017, after obtaining due permission from the Department. In 2021, I took a study leave for a period of 9 months, again with the Department's approval. As a pre-condition to this leave, I was required to execute a bond with the Department. The bond stipulated that since I received my full salary during the leave period, I must complete 4 years of service with the Department upon my return from the aforementioned study leave. Failure to do so would result in me having to pay an amount of Rs 4 lakhs to the Department.

Upon my return from the leave, I resumed my service, and my Department utilized the output that I had generated during the study leave for the fulfillment of criteria and completion of a World Bank-funded project.

Query Regarding Resignation and Bond Obligation

Now, my question is, if I decide to resign from my service due to better prospects at another organization, can the Department reject my resignation and compel me to pay the bond amount (4 lakhs)?

Kindly shed light on this issue and oblige.

Dear Rhitwicku, Your post states that your organization has imposed the condition of "completing 4 years of service to the department." Have you fulfilled this condition? If you have not, then you are liable to pay the bond amount, which is ₹4 lakh.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

In addition to what Dinesh has stated, the leave was not even unpaid leave but paid leave, and that would be more than Rs 4 lakh, I presume. Therefore, you are morally liable to pay the agreed amount. Since this is an arrangement for higher studies and the leave period has been regularized for all service matters, the requirement to serve for four years will not come under bonded labor anyway. If it is not possible to serve for 4 years, you can easily pay the amount and get relieved.