The consultations are aimed at gathering feedback from central government organisations and employee unions before the panel finalises its recommendations on salary revisions, allowances, pension benefits, and overall pay structure.
Employee unions from Uttar Pradesh are expected to present their demands and grievances, with discussions likely to focus on the fitment factor, Dearness Allowance (DA) merger, pension reforms, and retirement benefits.
One of the key issues expected to dominate the meetings is the demand for a higher fitment factor to ensure a substantial pay hike for central government employees.
Several employee organisations have also reiterated their long-standing demand for merging DA with basic pay. However, the government has maintained that there is currently no proposal under consideration to merge DA with basic salary.
Pension-related reforms are also expected to remain a major focus area during the consultations. Stakeholders are likely to seek an increase in the gratuity ceiling, improved retirement benefits, and relaxation in pension commutation rules.
The commission is chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. Other members include former IAS officer Pankaj Jain, serving as Member-Secretary, and Professor Pulak Ghosh, a tenured Professor of Finance and member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.
Constituted on November 3, 2025, the 8th Pay Commission formally began its consultation process on March 5 this year. The panel had invited suggestions and memoranda from stakeholders until June 15.
As per the current timeline, the commission is expected to submit its final recommendations around 18 months after its constitution, making early 2027 the earliest likely deadline for its report. However, based on previous pay commission cycles, implementation of revised salaries and pensions could take an additional two to three years, meaning full rollout may extend to 2029 or 2030.
The commission’s recommendations are expected to impact nearly one crore beneficiaries, including around 50 lakh central government employees and approximately 65 lakh pensioners.
Full schedule of regional meetings
Following the Lucknow consultations, the 8th Pay Commission will continue its regional stakeholder meetings across states and Union Territories in July.
The panel is scheduled to hold meetings in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on July 6 and 7, followed by consultations in Kolkata on July 9 and 10. Appointment requests for these meetings were accepted until June 15.
(Edited by : Anshul)
First Published: Jun 22, 2026 2:01 PM IST
