Central government employees are demanding a significant salary boost, urging the 8th Pay Commission to set the minimum pay at Rs 69,000 during its two-day visit to Odisha’s capital.
An eight-member delegation of the commission, led by Member Secretary Pankaj Jain, arrived in Bhubaneswar on Monday to hold direct talks with government employees and pensioners. The team will spend Monday and Tuesday listening to grievances and demands related to pay, pensions, and service conditions from various employee unions, stakeholders, and retirees.
The National Council of Joint Consultative Mechanism (NCJCM) has placed a strong demand before the commission to raise the minimum salary from ₹50,000 to Rs 69,000 based on the fitment factor. If accepted, this could result in up to a 65% increase in basic pay for employees. Unions are also hopeful of substantial hikes in Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and Travelling Allowance (TA) to ease the burden of rising living costs.
Interested organisations and employee associations were asked to register in advance through an online portal to participate in the discussions.
A central government employee who met the delegation expressed the collective hope of the workforce: “We hope the 8th Pay Commission will consider our justified demands and announce a respectable salary structure.”
The visit is seen as a crucial opportunity for the commission to directly understand the ground realities faced by lakhs of central employees and pensioners across the country.
