Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 30

The Eighth Central Pay Commission will begin its six-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to hold consultations with the J&K administration and various stakeholders on issues related to pay structure, pensions and service conditions of government employees.

The commission’s deliberations in J&K will formally begin on June 1 with an interaction with the J&K government from 11 am to 1 pm at Meeting Hall CR3 at SKICC in Srinagar.

According to a communication issued by the J&K Finance Department, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo will lead the J&K administration’s delegation during the interaction.

The J&K team will include Additional Chief Secretaries of the Jal Shakti, Power Development, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Tourism, Agriculture, Finance and Public Works (R&B) departments.

Principal Secretaries of the Home Department, Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat and Election Department, Commissioner Secretary General Administration Department, Commissioner Secretary Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department, and heads of departments of the Finance Department will also participate.

During its visit, the commission is scheduled to hold meetings with government employees, unions, associations and other stakeholders.

Earlier, in a notice issued on May 1, commission Director Muhammad Shahnawaz Akhter had announced the panel’s visit to Srinagar from June 1 to 4 and invited memoranda from stakeholders, including organisations and institutions of the Central government, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, and employee unions and associations seeking to interact with the commission.

Stakeholders were asked to submit their memoranda through the Commission’s website by May 16.

Those who submitted requests have been informed of the venue details and meeting schedule.

Following its J&K visit, the commission is scheduled to visit Ladakh on June 8.

The Central Pay Commissions are constituted periodically to review the salary structure, retirement benefits and service conditions of Central government employees and recommend revisions, generally every ten years.

The Eighth Central Pay Commission, constituted by the Government of India through a notification issued on November 3, 2025, is headed by Justice (retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai as chairperson, with Prof Pulak Ghosh as part-time member and Pankaj Jain as member-secretary.

The government had announced the formation of the commission in January 2025 to examine and recommend changes in salaries and benefits of Central government employees.

Under its terms of reference, the commission has been asked to submit its recommendations within 18 months of its constitution, while also retaining the option to submit interim reports on specific matters if required.

Among the factors it has been directed to consider are the country’s economic conditions, fiscal prudence, availability of resources for developmental and welfare expenditure, the financial burden of pension schemes, the likely impact on state finances, and prevailing salary structures and benefits in Central public sector undertakings and the private sector.

The commission is mandated to recommend changes in pay, allowances and other benefits across categories of Central government employees, including industrial and non-industrial staff, All India Services personnel, Defence Forces personnel, Union Territory employees, officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, employees of regulatory bodies set up under Acts of Parliament, Supreme Court and High Court staff in Union Territories, and judicial officers of subordinate courts in Union Territories.

It will also examine existing bonus schemes and recommend principles for incentive-based systems aimed at improving productivity, performance, accountability and efficiency in government service.

Several employee unions and associations that have submitted memoranda to the Commission are seeking major revisions, including reduction of the existing 18 pay levels to seven, fixation of minimum basic pay at Rs 69,000, increase in the lowest House Rent Allowance slab to 30 percent, adoption of a fitment factor of 3.83, pension revision every 5 years, a 6 percent annual increment, and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.