Teachers to launch poster campaign across all districts from Monday
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 2: Thousands of teachers and staff serving in deficit grant-in-aid schools and colleges have united in protest against the state government’s newly notified Meghalaya Non-Government Schools and Colleges Employees Centralised Fund Scheme, 2026.
What began as hope has turned into widespread disappointment and anger for the teachers. The rejection of the scheme by the teachers has put the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government under pressure.
Starting Monday, they will launch a statewide peaceful poster campaign across all districts. Teachers and staff, both serving and retired, have decided to display placards and posters at their institutions and public places, appealing to the government to respect employees’ rights, uphold legal provisions, and protect their financial future.
Teachers’ demand
It may be recalled that on April 1, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had announced that the government would introduce a pension scheme to honour the valuable contributions of teachers in shaping young minds. The announcement was warmly welcomed by teaching and non-teaching staff, including retired employees.
However, when the final scheme was notified, stakeholders were shocked to find it markedly different from the 2023 draft version that had been prepared after extensive consultations and even submitted in court records.
The employees argue that the 2026 scheme threatens their long-term financial security. They point out that it attempts to merge two different groups — pre-2010 appointees under the Contributory Provident Fund (CPF) framework and post-2010 staff under the National Pension System (NPS) — creating inconsistencies.
Many fear the new annuity-based model with possible partial withdrawals will not provide the stable, assured retirement benefits they expected. They also object to the compulsory opening of PRAN accounts and believe the scheme overlooks existing legal safeguards, especially since the entire issue of retirement benefits is still before the courts.
Feeling that their lifetime savings and hard-earned rights are at risk, representatives of various associations unanimously rejected the scheme and formally submitted their objections to the government.
Government’s stand
The government maintains that the 2026 Centralised Fund Scheme is a positive and necessary step. It aims to bring clarity, streamline retirement benefits, and resolve long-pending issues for employees of deficit grant-in-aid institutions.
The scheme has been cleared by the Cabinet and Finance Department, follows legal provisions, and appoints the State Bank of India as the fund manager.
While acknowledging the teachers’ concerns, the government has said it is willing to review and address genuine implementation difficulties but remains firm on introducing a structured, centralised system.
As the poster campaign is set to gather momentum, pressure is mounting on the Conrad Sangma-led government to find a middle ground that satisfies the teachers’ demand for justice, transparency, and secure retirement benefits while moving forward with its vision for a uniform pension framework.
