Meghalaya notifies centralized provident fund scheme for over 30,000 non-government education employees

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Government on Monday said it had notified the "Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralized Provident Fund Scheme, 2026" to ensure long-term financial security and social protection for more than 30,000 employees across non-government schools and colleges in the state, marking a major restructuring of retirement benefit coverage in the education sector.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner & Secretary in charge of Education, Vijay Mantri, it said: "The Government of Meghalaya has notified the 'Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralized Provident Fund Scheme, 2026' with the objective of ensuring long-term financial security and social protection for more than 30,000 employees of non-government schools and colleges across the state."

Highlighting the scope of the reform, the statement said: "The scheme represents a significant and progressive reform in the education sector, as it extends structured provident fund and pension benefits to a wide spectrum of employees, including deficit teachers and lecturers, ad hoc teachers, SSA and RMSA teachers, Hindi and Science Grant teachers, pre-primary teachers, as well as various categories of non-teaching staff. By bringing all such categories under a unified and professionally managed framework, the scheme aims to promote equity, transparency, and sustainability."

Noting the initial response, it added: "It is noteworthy that a large number of employees have responded positively to the scheme, and the process of opening Permanent Retirement Account Numbers (PRANs) has already commenced in several parts of the state."

At the same time, concerns flagged by sections of employees have found legal traction. It stated: "At the same time, concerns have been expressed by certain sections of employees, particularly among deficit institutions. The matter is currently sub judice before the Hon'ble High Court of Meghalaya, and the Government has already placed the notified scheme before the Court and is awaiting its decision."

On the way forward, the Government said: "The State Government remains committed to addressing the concerns of all stakeholders in a constructive manner. In this regard, the Education Department has invited representatives of the concerned organizations for a meeting to better understand their issues and explore possible resolutions. The meeting is scheduled to be held on 6 May at 3:00 pm in the Main Conference Hall, Secretariat."

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