Mon, Aug 10, 2026
8th CPC: Nearly 10 Lakh Pensioners Seek Quarterly DA Revision
Pensioners have urged the pay panel to revise the dearness allowance (DA) every three months and merge the dearness relief (DR) with the basic pension once it crosses the 25% mark
Aug 10, 2026 · 2 min read
Nearly 10 lakh pensioners represented by the Bharat Pensioners Samaj (BPS) have given a presentation to the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) to revise the dearness allowance (DA) every three months and merge the dearness relief (DR) with the basic pension once it crosses the 25% mark.
The demand comes as part of the presentation given to the 8th CPC, which sought the opinion from employees, pensioners, and other stakeholders on changes to the pay and pension structure. At present, DA and DR for central government employees and pensioners are revised twice a year under the mechanism adopted following the 7th CPC.
In its submission to the 8th CPC, the BPS has called for quarterly revision of DA/DR based on the average inflation data for the preceding three months. It has also sought “point-to-point compensation” to ensure pensioners are adequately compensated for inflation.
Merger of DA With Basic Pay
The quarterly revision proposal is among the notable recommendations made by the pensioners’ body. Several employees’ organisations have separately demanded the immediate merger of DA with basic pay as an interim measure until the 8th CPC recommendations are implemented. However, no decision has been taken on the demand so far.
The BPS has also raised the issue of pension parity, arguing that pensioners in similar positions should not face differences merely because they retired before or after a particular date.
“There should be no discrimination between similarly placed pensioners merely on the basis of their date of retirement,” BPS said, seeking equitable revision and parity between pre-January 1, 2026, and post-January 1, 2026, pensioners.
The organisation has further recommended that DR be merged with basic pension once it exceeds 25%, a proposal aimed at protecting pensioners against the erosion of purchasing power caused by sustained inflation.
₹69,000 Minimum Basic Pay, ₹45,000 Minimum Pension
The BPS has also proposed a minimum basic pay of ₹69,000 for central government employees, based on a fitment factor of 3.83. It has also recommended a minimum pension of ₹45,000.
The pensioners’ body has proposed a family formula of 5.2 weighted units for determining the fitment factor. Its suggestions over fitment factor and minimum pay are the same as those proposed by the NC-JCM Staff Side.
Central government employees are also awaiting the second DA revision of 2026. The first increase for the year took effect from January 1, 2026.
The BPS claims to represent nearly one million pensioners nationwide through 245 affiliated associations.
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