8th pay commission: Hopes are high for the government employees and pensioners on their salaries as Diwali nears. They expect a hike in their salary ahead of Diwali and Chhath Puja. However, the process of the 8th pay commission is still pending. Then how can a salay hike be possible before festivals?
Will PM announce it directly?
According to Amar Ujala report, former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has opined that, instead of setting up a new Pay Commission, the government might directly increase employees’ salaries. This had led employees to speculate that PM Modi could directly announce the hike.
At the same time, the All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF), which represents civilian staff in the defence sector, observed October 14 as a nationwide “protest day.” The protest is against the delay in announcing the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). As the commission procedure is still pending and elections are on cards, various associations and experts expect a ‘breakthrough’ before Diwali. If not, the announcement can also in late December or early January.
8th pay commission TIMELINE: Why 2028 is going to be a deadline?
8th pay commission TIMELINE: The experience of previous pay commissions has left central government employees and pensioners somewhat anxious about the process and implementation of the 8th Pay Commission. Both the 6th and 7th Commissions took at least two to three years from their formation to final rollout. According to a Financial Express report, the 8th Pay Commission is also expected to follow a similar timeline and pattern and may not be implemented before 2028.
Timeline of the 6th Pay Commission
- The 6th pay panel was constituted in October 2006
- The commission report was submitted to the government in March 2008
- The government accepted the report in August 2008
- The government implemented the panel’s recommendations retrospectively from January 1, 2006
- So, it took approximately 22–24 months from the formation to the implementation of 6th Pay Commission
Timeline of the 7th Pay Commission
- Constituted in February 2014
- Terms of Reference (ToR) were finalised by March 2014
- The commission submitted its report in November 2015
- The government accepted the recommendations in June 2016
- The government implemented them from January 1, 2016
- This means that it took approximately 33 months (2 years and 9 months) from its formation to implementation
- This comparison clearly shows that both commissions took an average of 2–3 years
