8th Pay Commission latest update: Pensioners flag portal issues, seek deadline extension

Bharat Pensioners Samaj (BPS), representing around 10 lakh pensioners from central/state governments and PSUs, has highlighted issues with the 8th Pay Commission portal while trying to submit its memorandum.

Due to ongoing technical difficulties, BPS has urged the Commission to extend the memorandum submission deadline from April 30, 2026, to May 31, 2026.

In a letter dated April 20, 2026, BPS said that despite multiple attempts, they could not upload the memorandum prepared in response to the nine themes/questions issued by the Commission.

BPS flagged persistent technical and structural problems, making the portal “practically non- functional”.

BPS highlighted that the current submission system does not adequately accommodate:
● NPS/UPS concerns, including grievances and demand for restoring the old pension scheme under CCS rules
● Women employees’ welfare issues, such as safety, maternity benefits, menstrual leave, child care leave and workplace equality
● Department-specific concerns, including cadre-based and operational issues

The pensioners’ body has asked the Commission to allow alternative submission options, including email (PDF/Word) and hard-copy submissions, given the portal's limitations.

BPS has proposed several improvements:
● Immediate fixing of technical shortcomings and making the portal user-friendly
● Issuing a clear SOP with step-by-step guidance for submissions
● Redesigning the system to allow flexible and detailed responses
● Creating dedicated sections for pensioners, NPS/UPS, women employees and department-specific issues

The NCCPA has urged the 8th CPC to introduce a clear and structured submission system, allowing respondents to address each sub-question and sub-theme individually. It has also emphasised the need for a more flexible framework, without restrictive formatting limits, so that stakeholders can provide detailed and comprehensive inputs.