The 8th Pay Commission has moved into an important phase. Before it can recommend changes to salaries and allowances for Central government employees, it first wants a clear picture of how much the government is already spending. To make that happen, ministries and government organisations have been asked to submit detailed salary and allowance data through the Commission’s online data portal, according to a portal that regularly shares updates on the 8th Pay Commission.
June 30, 2026, is the deadline set by the Commission for uploading this information, mentioned the portal. Since the exercise involves hundreds of government offices and a large amount of financial data, it remains to be seen whether all organisations will be able to meet the deadline or if the Commission decides to allow more time.
The Commission has made it clear that all information must be uploaded through its online data portal. It has ruled out any offline mode of submission.
This means ministries and departments cannot send physical files, Excel sheets, printed documents or information through email. Only data uploaded on the official online portal will be accepted.
The move is aimed at creating a single digital database that the Commission can use while preparing its recommendations.
The Commission has asked ministries and departments to provide detailed expenditure figures for the last three completed financial years. The information has been sought for FY 2022-23, FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25, the report mentioned.
The data must show how much was spent on salaries and different types of allowances across all Pay Matrix Levels, from Level 1 to Level 18.
The Commission is not looking only at basic salaries. It has asked for a complete break-up of expenditure under different heads.
This includes spending on Basic Pay and Military Service Pay, where applicable, Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance (TPTA), Risk and Hardship Allowance, Running Staff Allowances for Railway employees, Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA), as well as any other allowances paid to employees.
The total expenditure on allowances for each financial year also has to be reported, the report mentioned.
Collecting this data is one of the first major steps before the Commission begins framing its recommendations.
By studying how much the government currently spends on salaries and allowances across different pay levels, the Commission will be better placed to assess the financial impact of any future revisions.
The information is expected to help the Commission prepare recommendations on revised pay scales, allowances, overall government expenditure and long-term financial sustainability.
Given the volume of information involved, there is a possibility that the Commission may extend the deadline if required. Once the data collection exercise is complete, the Commission is expected to begin analysing the figures before moving to the next stage of its work on the report.