8th Pay Commission: Maharashtra Pension Body Seeks Rs 65,000 Minimum Salary, 3.8 Fitment Factor
8th Pay Commission: Maharashtra Pension Body Seeks Rs 65,000 Minimum Salary, 3.8 Fitment Factor
The Maharashtra Old Pension Organization placed 10 major demands before the 8th Pay Commission during a meeting in Pune
The Maharashtra Old Pension Organization has demanded a minimum basic salary of Rs 65,000 and a fitment factor of 3.8 for central government employees during a meeting with the 8th Pay Commission in Pune.
The meeting was held on May 5, 2026, with 8th Pay Commission chairperson Ranjana Prakash Desai and other commission members. Representatives of the pension body discussed issues related to salaries, pensions, allowances, career growth and retirement benefits for government employees.
One of the major demands was changing the definition of the family unit used for calculating minimum wages and fitment factor. The pension body proposed increasing the family unit count from three to five by including parents along with the employee, spouse and children.
The organization also sought a sharp increase in minimum basic pay from the current Rs 18,000 to Rs 65,000. It said the recommendation is based on the Aykroyd formula and present-day living costs.
Another key proposal was increasing the fitment factor from 2.57 under the 7th Pay Commission to 3.8 under the 8th CPC. According to the organization, this would ensure a more meaningful salary revision while maintaining fiscal balance.
The pension body further demanded a guaranteed minimum 4% increase in dearness allowance (DA) during every revision. It also requested automatic merger of DA with basic pay once it reaches 50%.
In addition, it proposed higher House Rent Allowance (HRA) rates by ending the linkage between HRA and DA. The suggested revised HRA rates are 12%, 24% and 36% for X, Y and Z category cities respectively.
The organization also sought a 2.5 times increase in Travel Allowance (TA), citing rising transportation costs and inflation. Special incentive allowances for employees posted in tribal, PESA and Naxal-affected regions were also proposed due to harsh working conditions and security challenges.
For teachers, the body requested implementation of a 10-20-30 career progression scheme instead of the current 12-24-26 structure. It also demanded that annual employee increments be increased from 3% to 5%.
On pension reforms, the organization pushed for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees currently covered under the National Pension System (NPS). For those under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), it recommended guaranteed pension benefits linked to pay commission revisions and return of employee contributions.
The pension body also sought continuation of enhanced family pension benefits for the entire lifetime of family pensioners and proposed that additional pension benefits should start from the age of 75 instead of 80.
The decisions of the 8th Pay Commission are expected to impact nearly 50 lakh central government employees and around 65 lakh pensioners across the country, including defence personnel and retirees.
