SHILLONG, MAY 4: The Meghalaya Education Department on Monday said the state government has notified the “Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralised Provident Fund Scheme, 2026” to provide long-term financial security to more than 30,000 employees of non-government schools and colleges.

“The Government of Meghalaya has notified the ‘Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralised 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,” the department said in a statement.

Calling it a major reform, the department 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, adhoc 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,” it added.

The department said response to the scheme has been positive so far. “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,” the statement said.

At the same time, it acknowledged objections from some quarters. “At the same time, concerns have been expressed by certain sections of employees, particularly among deficit institutions,” the department said.

“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,” it added.

To address the issues, the department has called for a meeting with stakeholders. “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 organisations for a meeting to better understand their issues and explore possible resolutions,” the statement said.

“The meeting is scheduled to be held on 6th May at 3:00 PM in the Main Conference Hall, Secretariat,” it added.

“The Government reiterates its commitment to safeguarding the interests and welfare of all teachers and employees, and to ensuring that the implementation of the Scheme is carried out in a fair, transparent and inclusive manner,” the department said.