Urgent: High Court Commands Swift Resolution on Provident Fund Issue – Government and SBI Must Seal the Deal by Nov 30

In a recent writ petition concerning the centralised provident fund scheme for employees of deficit-aided schools and colleges in Meghalaya, the petitioners have advocated for a uniform approach to provident funds for staff hired before April 2010, similar to the system for those employed afterwards. Responding to this petition, the High Court of Meghalaya has issued a directive to the state government and the State Bank of India (SBI) to complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by November 30, addressing the provident fund arrangements for pre-April 2010 employees. Subsequently, the government must publish the scheme in its official gazette by December 15.

During the court proceedings, the justices examined a letter from the Education Department, dated October 23, 2024, detailing plans to centralise the provident funds for pre-2010 employees with SBI. Previously, on September 30, the state ordered institutions under the deficit grant-in-aid scheme to transfer their existing contributory provident funds into this centralised setup, designated as “The Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Central Serial Pension and Provident Fund.”

The court noted an existing MoU between the Meghalaya government and SBI, established on October 22, 2024, for a new pension scheme aimed at employees hired on or after April 1, 2010. However, the absence of a comparable scheme for their pre-2010 counterparts prompted the petitioners to call for equivalent transfer procedures and financial security agreements. The Assistant Advocate General, K. Khan, acknowledged the government’s openness to extending the scheme to pre-2010 hires but suggested that the petition could have specified their demands more clearly.

In light of these developments, the Court has mandated that the MoU for the pre-2010 employees be finalised by November 30, following which a formal notification must be issued by December 15. The court will reconvene on December 17, 2024, for a review of the progress made in implementing these directives.

Original Story https://theshillongtimes.com/2024/11/06/hc-tells-govt-sbi-to-finalise-mou-on-provident-fund-issue-by-nov-30/
Category : MEGHALAYA
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Publish Date: 2024-11-06 03:59:00