Five batches in, and Meghalaya is still closing the gaps. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 that the state cabinet has approved the regularisation of 26 employees who were appointed on an ad hoc basis against sanctioned posts before the cut-off date of 31st December — ensuring that workers who had slipped through earlier rounds are finally brought into the fold.

Posting on X, CM Sangma confirmed that this is the fifth batch of regularisation carried out in compliance with a ruling of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. 'Over the past few years, nearly 4,000 employees have benefited from this process,' he wrote, adding that the latest decision ensures the 26 remaining employees 'who were left out are also covered.'

Five Batches, Nearly 4,000 Workers Covered

The scale of what Meghalaya has done quietly — batch by batch — is worth pausing on. Regularising close to 4,000 ad hoc state government employees over successive rounds means thousands of workers previously denied job security and equal pay protections now hold permanent status. The process is rooted in Supreme Court directives that have pushed several Indian states to address the long-standing anomaly of employees performing regular duties on temporary appointments for extended periods.

Each batch has required a fresh cabinet decision, meaning the Meghalaya Cabinet has returned to this commitment multiple times rather than treating it as a one-off compliance exercise. The fifth batch, covering 26 employees, is smaller in number — but for the individuals involved, the difference between ad hoc and regular service means pension security, pay-scale parity, and protection from arbitrary removal.

What the Supreme Court Mandate Means on the Ground

India's higher courts have repeatedly flagged the exploitation embedded in prolonged ad hoc appointments — workers doing the same jobs as permanent colleagues, often for years, without equivalent benefits. The Supreme Court of India's ruling that several states have acted upon sets a clear expectation: if an employee was appointed against a sanctioned post before a defined cut-off, the state cannot indefinitely defer regularisation.

Meghalaya's phased approach — processing employees in identifiable batches rather than one sweeping order — reflects both the administrative complexity of auditing historical appointments and the political will to see the process through. The fact that a fifth batch was needed at all signals the rigour of the audit: even after 4,000 regularisations, officials went back and found 26 more who qualified but had been missed.

With the fifth batch now approved, the question is whether any further qualifying employees remain — and how quickly the formal notifications will reach the 26 newest beneficiaries. For a government committed to compliance, the real test is always in the paperwork that follows the cabinet room.