By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 4: Amid the ongoing agitation by deficit school, college teachers against the newly notified provident fund scheme, the Meghalaya government on Monday invited representatives of the concerned organisations for talks to better understand their concerns and explore possible solutions.
The meeting has been scheduled in the Main Conference Hall of the Secretariat on Wednesday at 3 pm.
In a statement, Commissioner and Secretary of the Education Department, Vijay Kumar Mantri, said the government remains committed to resolving the concerns of all stakeholders through a constructive process.
“The State Government is sincerely 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 concerns and explore possible solutions,” Mantri said.
The government also reiterated that the Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralised Provident Fund Scheme, 2026 was notified with the objective of providing long-term financial security and social protection to more than 30,000 employees of non-government schools and colleges across the state.
According to Mantri, the scheme marks a significant reform in the education sector by extending structured provident fund and pension benefits to a broad range of employees.
The scheme covers deficit teachers and lecturers, ad hoc teachers, SSA and RMSA teachers, Hindi and Science grant teachers, pre-primary teachers, and various categories of non-teaching staff.
The Education department stated that bringing these categories under a unified and professionally managed framework is aimed at promoting equity, transparency and long-term sustainability in retirement benefits.
Mantri said a large number of employees have responded positively to the scheme and that the process of opening Permanent Retirement Account Numbers (PRANs) has already begun in several parts of the state.
At the same time, he acknowledged that concerns have been raised by certain sections of employees, particularly those serving in deficit institutions.
He informed that the matter is presently under consideration before the High Court of Meghalaya. The state government has already placed the notified scheme before the court and is awaiting its decision.
Reiterating the government’s position, Mantri said the State remains committed to safeguarding the interests and welfare of teachers and employees while ensuring that implementation of the scheme is carried out in a fair, transparent and inclusive manner.
