SHILLONG : The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved a long-pending provident fund scheme aimed at benefiting employees of non-government schools and colleges receiving deficit grants from the state government.
Announcing the decision after chairing the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the government has cleared the implementation of the Meghalaya Non-Government Schools and College Employees Centralized Provident Funds Scheme 2026. He stated that while contributions from employees had been deducted for years under an existing law, there was no proper system in place to ensure that these funds were returned to them after retirement.
Sangma explained that the newly approved scheme will now provide a clear structure through which employees of deficit-funded institutions will be able to receive their provident fund benefits. These include staff from well-known institutions such as St. Anthony’s College, St. Edmund’s College and Shillong College, among others, where salaries are partly supported by government deficit grants.
He further noted that the issue had been pending for a long time, as contributions were being collected under an Act originally inherited from Assam and later adopted by Meghalaya, but without a defined mechanism for disbursement at the time of retirement. With the cabinet’s approval, the government has now finalised the framework that will ensure proper distribution of these accumulated funds to eligible employees.
Clarifying concerns about financial implications, the chief minister stated that the contributions have already been made over the years, and the scheme primarily focuses on establishing a system to distribute these funds rather than creating a new financial burden on the state.
The move is expected to bring major relief to deficit teachers and employees, ensuring financial security after retirement and addressing a long-standing demand of the education sector in Meghalaya.