Deputationist Can Be Repatriated Anytime for Unsatisfactory Conduct; No Vested Right to Continue on Deputation — Calcutta HC

The article reports that a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court held a government employee on deputation can be repatriated at any time if his conduct is unsatisfactory — there is no indefeasible or vested right to remain on deputation or obtain absorption. The case involved a senior private secretary deputed to a tribunal; within six months of joining, he was given 90-day notice and later repatriated after due procedure. The Court found the employee had improperly claimed TA, bypassed official channels and repeatedly approached higher authorities directly despite warnings — conduct which justified repatriation. It emphasised that as per settled jurisprudence, deputation is not employment absorption, and neither the borrowing department nor the employee acquires a vested right merely by deputation. The judgment reinforces administrative flexibility and acts as a caution for officers on deputation about conduct requirements.