Chandigarh, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Eighth Central Pay Commission began its three-day visit to Chandigarh on Wednesday as part of its ongoing consultations with employees, pensioners and other stakeholders on pay and pension-related matters.
The commission is scheduled to hold discussions with civil service unions, pensioner organisations and representatives of the regional administration through Friday. Representatives from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh are expected to present their views on the proposed revision of pay and pension structures.
Employee associations, pensioner groups and stakeholder bodies representing railway and defence personnel are also expected to make submissions before the commission.
The feedback received during the consultations will form part of the inputs considered by the commission while preparing its recommendations.
The Eighth Central Pay Commission is headed by former Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. Its members include former IAS officer Pankaj Jain, who is serving as Member-Secretary, and Pulak Ghosh, Professor of Finance and a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.
The commission’s recommendations could affect the financial interests of more than one crore Central government employees and pensioners. The group includes around 50 lakh serving Central government employees and approximately 65 lakh pensioners, including defence and railway personnel and retirees.
During the consultations, employee representatives are seeking a higher fitment factor, which would determine the multiplication factor applied to existing basic pay while calculating revised salaries.
Unions are also seeking changes to the Dearness Allowance (DA) mechanism, including more frequent revisions and consideration of a merger of DA with basic pay after a specified threshold is reached.
Several employee bodies have sought a review of House Rent Allowance (HRA), transport allowance and hardship-related allowances, citing rising living costs in cities and the additional expenses associated with difficult postings.
Pensioner organisations are expected to raise issues concerning retirement income safeguards, enhanced family pension provisions and improved healthcare support for retirees.
Employee associations are also seeking changes in promotion structures and service conditions, besides raising concerns about the competitiveness of government compensation in the context of recruitment and workforce retention.
Under the Terms of Reference approved for the commission, it has 18 months from its constitution on November 3, 2025, to submit its recommendations.
The Chandigarh consultations are part of the commission’s wider stakeholder engagement process before it finalises its recommendations on pay, allowances, pension and other service-related matters.
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