The 8th Pay Commission’s regional consultation exercise is set to continue with three key stakeholder meetings, including sessions in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on June 22–23, Bhubaneswar, Odisha on July 6–7, 2026, and Kolkata, West Bengal on July 9–10, 2026, as the panel gathers inputs on salary revisions, allowances, pensions and retirement benefits from employee unions, federations and government departments.
The Commission, formally constituted by the Centre on November 3, 2025, is currently in the consultation phase and has already held meetings in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. The upcoming consultations in Lucknow, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata are expected to play a key role in shaping the Commission’s recommendations. Additional consultation venues are expected to be announced in the coming months.
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Among the issues expected to dominate discussions are demands for a higher fitment factor, merger of Dearness Allowance (DA) with basic pay, and improvements in pension benefits.
While employee organisations have reiterated their demand for DA merger and a substantial pay hike through an enhanced fitment factor, the government has maintained that no proposal to merge DA with basic pay is under consideration at present.
Pension-related reforms are also emerging as a major focus area. Stakeholders have proposed raising the gratuity ceiling, easing pension commutation rules and improving retirement benefits. A key proposal under discussion seeks to establish a minimum pension equivalent to 67% of the last pay drawn, with a progressive age-linked increase that could reach 100% salary replacement by the age of 90.
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Separately, the Railway Senior Citizens Welfare Society (RSCWS) has submitted a memorandum to the Commission seeking an increase in the annual increment rate from 3% to 5%, a reduction in the pension commutation restoration period from 15 years to 10–12 years, and the determination of minimum pay based on the price index as of January 1, 2026.
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