New Delhi, March 19: The Central Reserve Police Force has issued a circular asking the commandants at all its training schools not to deprive the recruits of their weekly day off.

Tuesday's circular comes five weeks after 59 rookie commandos, fresh from a six-month boot camp in Kashmir, "deserted" their unit by slipping off a train ferrying them to Bihar for deployment in Maoist zones.

"All the commandants have been directed to strictly allow Sunday as compulsory holiday for trainees during their six-month rigorous training period," a senior CRPF officer told this newspaper.

"The latest move is a case of being once bitten, twice shy and is meant to stem any tendency among personnel to go AWOL (absent without official leave)."

Sources said the 59 rookie commandos had told their seniors during an inquiry that their six-month, seven-day-a-week basic training had been too rigorous and the lack of even a single day's break had led to stress and fatigue.

"They told us they had decided on their own to flee the train (which was taking them to Gaya) and return to their homes as they were physically exhausted," the officer said.

A court of inquiry has been formed against the 59.

Currently, trainees are put on sentry duty or tasked with activities like gardening and whitewashing on Sundays. But Tuesday's circular argues that lack of rest can cause injuries.

"Basic training of constables, directly appointed subordinate officers, directly enlisted subordinate officers, and directly enlisted gazetted officers in CRPF are very intensive processes," the circular says.

"Series of physical activities are involved. After such intensive physical activities some rest is necessary for recovery. In the absence of rest, likelihood of physical injuries increases."

It goes on to say that from now on, "Sunday will be complete rest day" for the trainees.

"No training activities should be kept for Sunday. Except for brief roll call, no other official/training activity should be kept. Trainees should be free to take rest or do their personal work on Sunday," it says.

In another circular, issued on Friday, the paramilitary force has clarified that personnel are entitled to 15 days' leave a year once they have completed 22 weeks of training.

It said that such leave must start on a Sunday and end on another Sunday. The personnel can leave the compound on Saturday "after the games period" and must "report back by Sunday night so that they attend the morning physical training on Monday".

The two back-to-back circulars, sources said, was an attempt to reach out to personnel at a time a BSF jawan and a CRPF jawan have uploaded separate videos complaining of poor food and bad working and living conditions.