According to an internal forwarding note issued by NC-JCM Secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra, the memorandum on “Common Service Matters of Central Government Employees & Existing Pensioners Demands” has already been uploaded on the official 8th CPC portal after being finalised by the drafting committee.
Big demand on HRA
One of the most significant proposals in the memorandum is believed to be a sharp revision in House Rent Allowance (HRA), with employee representatives seeking rates of up to 40% for employees posted in metro cities.
Currently, HRA is paid at rates of 27%, 18% and 9% depending on city classification. Employee unions argue that housing costs in major urban centres have risen substantially since the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission in 2016.
If accepted, the proposal could potentially revise HRA slabs upward to levels such as:
- X category cities: up to 40%
- Y category cities: around 24%
- Z category cities: around 12%
The demand is linked to rising rental inflation, higher urban living costs and increasing pressure on employees working in metro regions.
Minimum pay may rise to ₹69,000
The memorandum is also understood to support a fitment factor of 3.833, which could raise the minimum basic salary of Central government employees from the current Rs 18,000 to nearly Rs 69,000.
Employee organizations say the revision is necessary to account for inflation, higher household expenditure and changes in consumption patterns over the past decade.
Pensioners seek parity benefits
Apart from salary revision, the NC-JCM memorandum reportedly includes several pension-related demands. These include:
- Restoration of full pension parity between past and present retirees
- Improvements in family pension provisions
- Better Dearness Relief calculation mechanisms
- Review of commutation-related deductions
The Staff Side has stated that pensioners should receive the same benefit of pay revisions as serving employees.
Focus on promotions and career progression
The memorandum also presses for reforms in promotion policies and career progression systems across departments.
The NC-JCM has clarified that while common service matters are covered in the central memorandum, individual federations and unions will separately submit department-specific demands related to cadre restructuring, upgraded pay scales and promotional avenues.
No final decision yet
The recommendations submitted by employee unions are proposals and not approved revisions. The final structure of salaries, allowances and pensions will depend on the recommendations eventually made by the 8th Central Pay Commission and the Union government’s decision on implementation.
