SHILLONG, May 15: Teachers and employees of deficit schools and colleges on Friday criticised the National People’s Party-led MDA government for allegedly failing to strictly comply with the directives of the High Court of Meghalaya.
They also slammed the state government for “confusing and contradictory orders” regarding the implementation of the Meghalaya Non-Government Schools and Colleges Employees Centralised Provident Fund (CPF) Scheme, 2026.
The associations expressed serious concern over the Education Department’s recent notifications on the CPF scheme, particularly the option given to employees to opt out after contributions had been deducted for nearly two years.
Speaking to reporters, Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) member Amanda Basaiawmoit said the teachers and employees were shocked by the series of notifications issued by the government, alleging that the repeated changes had created uncertainty and anxiety among deficit employees across the state.
She stated that from the time of service confirmation, the teachers were directed through official appointment and confirmation letters to contribute under the CPF Act of 1969. According to Basaiawmoit, deficit teachers and employees have been contributing to the CPF system since Meghalaya attained statehood in 1972.
She further pointed out that in 2004, the Education Department instructed the Directorate of School Education and Literacy and the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education to ensure that all contributions from deficit school and college employees were deposited into a Centralised Pension and Provident Fund Account at the SBI Laitumkhrah Branch.
Basaiawmoit also cited subsequent official communications stating that the government was acting in compliance with court directives to operationalise the CPF scheme under the Meghalaya Non-Government Schools and Colleges Provident Fund Scheme Act, 1969.
“It was the government that created and operationalised the CPF scheme,” she said.
She asked why the government was now permitting employees to opt out of the scheme after compelling them to deposit contributions for almost two years.
“From day one, employees were never given any choice whether to join the scheme or not. Now, after we have deposited our money, the government is suddenly asking us to opt out,” Basaiawmoit said.
She further alleged that many employees have still not received subscriber IDs and proper statements detailing their contributions, raising fears that retired employees could face serious complications in future pension calculations.
Basaiawmoit urged the government to strictly follow the high court’s directives and refrain from issuing conflicting notifications while the matter remains pending before the court.
She also raised concerns over the lack of clarity regarding the government’s contribution share under the new scheme. While employees earlier received an 8% government contribution, later increased to 10%, he alleged that the 2026 scheme leaves the contribution percentage subject to future government decisions.
The MCTA member further criticised provisions requiring employees to utilise 50% of their retirement corpus for insurance-linked pension products, claiming such arrangements are market-linked and may not guarantee adequate pension security in the future.
“Even if somebody deposits Rs 10 lakh, the pension amount may become insignificant after 10 years due to inflation and rising prices,” she added.
