Meghalaya clears provident fund scheme for private education staff

The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved a centralised provident fund scheme aimed at employees of non-government schools and colleges, addressing long-standing concerns over the management of their contributions.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced the decision on Wednesday, April 1, stating that the “implementation of the Meghalaya Non-Government School, Colleges Employees Centralised Provident Fund Scheme, 2026” has now been cleared.

A significant number of employees in private educational institutions have been contributing to provident funds under existing legal provisions. However, the absence of a structured government-backed system had created gaps in oversight and implementation.

“With the Cabinet’s approval today, the scheme has now been finalised,” Sangma said, adding that employees had long been making contributions “as mandated under the relevant Act” despite the lack of a formal mechanism to manage them.

The new scheme is expected to streamline fund management and ensure greater security for contributors. Once rolled out, employees of non-government schools and colleges will be able to access provident fund benefits “in a structured and secure manner,” the Chief Minister noted.

Officials indicated that the move is likely to bring consistency and accountability to the system, while offering financial safeguards to thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff across the state.