Shillong, May 10: The non-government teachers have rejected the offer of the government to opt out of Central Provident Fund.
Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) president Boswell Pala said on Sunday that the notification by the government is shocking, disappointing, and unacceptable as the government had said that it would call the teachers for a meeting to which all deficit Teachers would be invited.
However, the government has already issued the notification giving the option to teachers to opt out of the CPF.
“The government is again acting arbitrarily. Clearly, it has an agenda. Otherwise, why would it rush to implement something which is being challenged and questioned”, Pala said.
According to Pala, the government took advantage of the frustration that retired teachers, in particular, are experiencing. The retired teachers are so frustrated that they would be greatly tempted to jump at the chance of being able to withdraw their money. But a responsible and good government would not take advantage of the frustration and difficult situation of senior citizens.
“We also have to add that this notification allowing for opting out of CPF and retirement benefits is just a ploy. When accounting of the money in the Centralised Provident Fund account has not been done and the interest in that account is not known, if already decided, and with no subscriber account number, it is rather baffling how the money can be withdrawn. We wish the government acts with more sensitivity and with propriety. The government cannot keep closing its eyes to the fact that the process to implement NPS and Scheme 2023 was already on. It just blocked the process. Feigning ignorance, it offered scheme of 2026, and then now this option. But the teachers are fully aware of what we are supposed to get. And we stick to the request that the government give us that’, Pala asserted.
