8th Pay Commission: Shamli pensioners' 12 demands include coverage for retirees before 1 Jan 2026

8th Pay Commission: Pensioners in Uttar Pradesh have sought inclusion of those who retired before 1 January 2026, along with a pension revision, 18 months of DA/DR arrears, restoration of the old pension system and other benefits.

Retired employees and pensioners staged a protest at the Collectorate in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, seeking the inclusion of government employees who retired before 1 January 2026 within the scope of the 8th Pay Commission.

The retired employees and pensioners' association raised a 12-point set of demands and submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath through the District Magistrate.

According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, the protesters highlighted a lack of clarity over the treatment of older pensioners following the constitution of the 8th Pay Commission. The association also argued that previous pay commissions did not create such a distinction between employees and pensioners based on their date of retirement.

Pensioners seek pension revision, old pension restoration

According to the report, the association demanded that no distinction be made by date of retirement and that the pensions of older retirees be revised as well. It also sought the restoration of the old pension system and the exemption of pension income from tax.

Other key demands included a 5% increase in the pension every 5 years after age 65 and an end to deductions related to pension commutation after 10 years. The pensioners also sought payment of 18 months of dearness allowance/dearness relief (DA/DR) arrears withheld during the Covid-19 pandemic.