With the Union Cabinet recently approving the establishment of the Eighth Pay Commission for central government employees, Maharashtra’s 1.15 million state government employees are now expected to demand a similar move. However, state officials have indicated that the government is unlikely to act on these demands soon, citing financial constraints. The implementation of such a commission would reportedly add over ₹20,000 crore annually to the state’s expenses.
Historically, Maharashtra has implemented previous pay commission recommendations strategically around election periods. The Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions were rolled out in 2009 and 2019, three years after the recommendations were first made, aligning with assembly election campaigns. Sources suggest that the state government may follow a similar pattern, delaying the implementation of the Eighth Pay Commission until after the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in 2029. Finance department officials have revealed that Maharashtra has traditionally waited for the central commission to submit its recommendations before setting up its own. They expect the central Pay Commission’s report to be finalized by mid-2026. Following this, the state may form its commission, with its report anticipated by early 2027.
Officials also noted that the state usually adopts most of the recommendations from the central Pay Commission, but delays implementation due to the significant financial burden. Salary and pension revisions for government employees, which occur every ten years based on pay commission reports, have historically increased state expenditures significantly. For instance, when the Seventh Pay Commission was implemented in 2019, the state’s spending on salaries and pensions rose from ₹1.06 lakh crore in 2018-19 to ₹1.36 lakh crore in 2019-20. A similar increase of 20%-25% is expected under the Eighth Pay Commission, pushing salary and pension bills higher.
The state’s workforce currently stands at 1.15 million employees against a sanctioned strength of 1.8 million. Even if the implementation is delayed, arrears would need to be paid from January 1, 2026. Past instances have seen such arrears cleared over two years in three installments. Meanwhile, employee unions have voiced their concerns. Leaders from the Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers’ Federation stated that previous discussions with the government had included assurances of timely implementation. They expressed optimism, citing the state’s generally positive stance on the matter, though a formal announcement is yet to be made.
State employees and union leaders continue to await clarity on the government’s approach, as financial and political considerations seem to be influencing the timeline.