Eighth Pay Commission issues to be resolved through talks: MoS Margherita

Jorhat, Dec 28: Union Minister of State and Assam BJP leader Pabitra Margherita has assured that all issues highlighted in the report of the Eighth Pay Commission would be resolved through sustained discussions between the government and employee organisations.

Addressing the annual general meeting of the All Assam Employees' Council in Jorhat on Saturday, Margherita emphasised that the state government remains committed to addressing the concerns of its employees in a consultative manner.

“The issues highlighted in the Eighth Pay Commission report will be resolved through discussion. The Employees’ Council and government employees are not second or third parties but are the first party. Employees are an integral part of governance,” he said, while attending the second day of the three-day 40th Annual General Meeting of the Council at the premises of Chandrakamal Bezbaruah Commerce College.

Margherita also added that discussions are ongoing on several sensitive and technical matters, including the long-pending debate over the National Pension System (NPS) and the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

“Discussions regarding the old pension policy are continuing. This is not an issue that can be resolved with a brief statement, as it involves technical aspects. Who will be entitled to what is being discussed between the Employees’ Council and the government, and this dialogue will continue,” he said.

He further noted that the state government, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has already taken several steps to address both voluntary and involuntary hardships faced by government employees.

“The Chief Minister has worked to address numerous issues, bringing relief and smiles to the families of lakhs of employees. While some matters remain, there is deep trust between the employees’ community and the government. The remaining issues will also be resolved in due course,” Margherita added.

Highlighting the cooperative approach adopted by the government, he said many earlier demands raised by employee bodies have already been fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the President of the All Assam Employees’ Council expressed optimism about positive developments in the coming year.

“We are hopeful that from January 1, 2026, the recommendations of the Eighth Pay Commission will be implemented. With expected support from the central government; employees may receive enhanced salaries from the new year,” he said, adding that the employees’ community is optimistic about receiving good news soon.

He added that several long-standing demands like frisk pay, house rent allowance for casual and master roll employees, promotions for staff deprived for 25 to 30 years, service roll benefits, and payment of salaries at graduate scale have already been implemented through discussions with the government.

Summing up the government’s stance, Margherita said, “Employees are the backbone of any administration. We believe they are the first people who help run a government efficiently. We discussed a wide range of employee-related issues today. Since we treat employees as family, we do not see these as demands, but as matters to be discussed and resolved collectively.”