Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today informed that the state government has been able to bring down the maternal mortality rate (MMR) by 40 per cent.
In response to opposition MLA Adelbert Nongrum on the issue of maternity leave in the Assembly today, Sangma said MMR was one of the issues taken up by the MDA-I government since 2018. He said at that time Meghalaya’s MMR was nearly double the national average. If the national average was around 100-120, the state’s figure was approximately 220,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister informed that maternity leave for government employees in Meghalaya is governed by the Meghalaya Fundamental and Subsidiary Rules, 1984, which specify that 180 days of leave are granted for the first two children.
He said State government employees are entitled to 180 days of maternity leave for their first two surviving children during their entire service period. For contractual and private sector employees, Sangma stated that maternity leave provisions fall under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and its 2017 amendment. “All female employees in the private sector are entitled to 26 weeks, or 182 days, of maternity leave,” he said.
However, he noted that in the private sector, an employee must have worked for a minimum of 80 days in a given position to qualify for the benefit.
Regarding the third child, Sangma informed that private-sector employees, muster roll workers, and non-government employees are eligible for 21 weeks of maternity leave, with a maximum of eight weeks preceding the expected date of delivery.
Addressing concerns over perceived disparities, the Chief Minister clarified that the differences in maternity leave provisions arise from the distinct rules and regulations governing state and private-sector employees. “The central Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and its 2017 amendment are fully implemented. The duration of leave in the private sector—182 days—is very close to the 180 days provided by the state government,” he said.
He further explained that confusion arises due to the eligibility criteria set at the national level. “One of the key concerns is the requirement of a minimum of 80 days of employment. If a contractual or muster roll employee has worked for only 30 or 58 days, they do not qualify under the Act. This leads to misconceptions about the law’s implementation,” he added.
