A stern warning has been issued to those who have completed their education on taxpayer’s funds through government scholarships and have failed to pay their dues as the defaulters now owe the state more that $7 million.

The Public Service Commission is issuing a month’s notice to PSC scholarship holders who have not paid their arrears and Permanent Secretary Pramesh Chand said the PSC will not hesitate to publish the names of all defaulters in the media and on the government website if no progress is made to recover the outstanding arrears.

Chand said the Solicitor General’s office will also pursue legal action against these people in the effort to recoup the arrears.

He said one of the objectives of the roadmap for civil service reforms is the improvement of returns for the utilization of government resources and the recovery of scholarship arrears has been a long standing issue.

Meanwhile, the PSC said all qualified scholarship recipients who are still unemployed are advised to register with the PSC.