IRTSA termed the 8th Pay Commission questionnaire incomplete and put forward new demands. Expressed the need for improvement in salary, allowances, pension and promotion. The Commission extended the date for giving suggestions till 31 March 2026.
8th Pay Commission: The stir among central government employees regarding the 8th Pay Commission has intensified. The Commission had issued a document of 18 questions to give suggestions on issues like salary, allowances, pension and promotion. Earlier its last date was 16 March 2026, which has now been extended to 31 March 2026.
Meanwhile, Indian Railway Technical Supervisors Association (IRTSA), a major railway employee organization, has raised many new demands while raising questions on this process. The organization wrote a letter to Commission Chairperson Ranjana Prakash Desai saying that the existing questionnaire is incomplete and many important issues related to salary, pension and allowances have not been included in it.
Demand for change in classification of employees
The biggest demand of IRTSA is regarding the classification of employees. At present government employees are divided into Group A, B and C. The organization says that the nature of work, responsibilities and technology have changed with time. In such a situation, there is a need for a new structure, so that salary and promotion can be decided properly.
The organization said that there should be classification according to different posts and responsibilities. For example, it is necessary to make separate provision for categories like Junior Engineer, Senior Section Engineer and IT staff.
Question raised on allowances
IRTSA has also raised concerns about allowances. 196 allowances were discussed in the 7th Pay Commission, but only 12 categories have been kept in the current theme of the 8th Pay Commission. The organization says that every allowance is for a different need. Therefore it is necessary to include all the allowances in detail, so that the employees can get the right benefits.
The organization also suggested that the allowances be updated from time to time and their calculations be based on the actual needs of the employees.
Pension and family pension issue
A big question has also been raised regarding pension and family pension. According to the organization, there is no clear mention of pension related issues in the current questionnaire of the Commission. This is a serious problem for millions of retired employees and their families.
IRTSA has demanded that all suggestions related to pension, domestic support and family pension should come before the commission and be included in the new structure.
Improvement in career growth and promotion
Regarding career growth, the organization said that focusing only on MACP scheme is not enough. The real need is to promote functional promotion. This will improve both the salary and position of the employees.
Apart from this, the organization suggested that the employees should also be given the facility to submit the court decisions in their favor before the Commission. Also, the character limit in the online form should be increased and suggestions should be allowed in physical form also.
Impact on crores of employees and pensioners
These new demands of IRTSA will directly affect crores of government employees and pensioners. The decision of the Pay Commission can have a big impact on the pockets of the employees. Therefore, now the pressure on the Commission regarding salary, allowances and pension seems to be increasing.
Experts believe that if the Eighth Pay Commission incorporates these demands of employees and pensioners, the financial benefits of employees can increase and job satisfaction will also improve.
change in process
IRTSA also said that the existing questionnaire of the Commission should be updated and the problems of all categories of employees should be included separately. This will ensure that the salaries, allowances and promotions of the employees are decided correctly. The organization demands that the Commission take the feedback seriously in accordance with the needs of the employees and fully consider all the suggestions.
Comments are closed.