SHILLONG: Deficit school teachers and college employees across Meghalaya launched a massive poster campaign today to voice their protest against the state government’s newly introduced pension scheme.
The agitators are demanding that the government revert to the draft scheme that was previously agreed upon in 2023.
The protest was organized by the Khasi-Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA), the Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA), and other stakeholder groups. They have alleged that the “Meghalaya Non-Government School and Colleges Employees Centralized Fund Scheme, 2026,” which the government submitted to the High Court in April, is a deceptive version of the Contributory Provident Fund (CPF).
Speaking on the matter, KJDSTA Secretary Synshar J. Marwein stated that the 2026 scheme is detrimental to the welfare of deficit teachers. He pointed out significant discrepancies, noting that while the government claims it is modeled after the National Pension System (NPS), the actual provisions tell a different story.
In a standard NPS, both the employer and employee contribute 10% of the basic pay and Dearness Allowance (DA); however, the government has failed to clarify its contribution in this new scheme.
Furthermore, Marwein highlighted that under a genuine NPS, employees can withdraw up to 60% of the accumulated corpus, whereas this scheme limits it to 50%. He also expressed concern over the inclusion of various categories of teachers who do not fall under the NPF Act of 1969.
Marwein further explained that under the current CPF, those who entered service before or after April 1, 2010, receive only 8%, which he described as grossly inadequate. Condemning the government’s perceived indifference, he maintained that the poster campaign would continue across the state while the KJDSTA central body decides on its next course of action.
Echoing these sentiments, KJDSTA member I. Marbaniang recalled that teachers have been approaching the Meghalaya High Court for pension rights since 2017. She noted that although the government had drafted a CPF and NPS plan in August 2023 which the teachers had accepted, the administration later altered the terms in violation of that understanding.
Marbaniang also revealed that following court directions, teachers had withdrawn their old CPF funds in 2024 and deposited them into a consolidated SBI account in Laitumkhrah as instructed by the government. Despite this, the government has failed to take further action, leaving many retired teachers in a state of financial uncertainty as they struggle to claim their rightful benefits.
This campaign serves as a collective plea from thousands of active and retired employees, urging the State Government to respect their rights by implementing fair policies and abandoning schemes that jeopardize their long-term financial security.
