8th CPC: Odisha meetings and Railway inspection
The 8th Pay Commission started its another round of consultations with employee, pensioner bodies and other stake holders in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, today (July 6, 2026). The pay commission with discuss issues such as salary, pension, work conditions, allowances with stake holder in its two-day visit to the capital city of Odisha. The 8th Pay Commission completed its round of discussions in Lucknow in June. The commission will have its next discussions in Kolkata, West Bengal, from July 9 to 10, 2026.
8th CPC likely to visit Railway employees’ working conditions before salary revision
Railway Board, in a letter dated July 2, 2026, has informed the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) and All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF), that the 8th Pay Commission has desired to witness firsthand the working of Indian Railways and all aspects associated with operations and maintenance of rail traffic.
The venue of the 8th Pay Commission’s visit is yet to be decided. However, the Railway board has proposed the commission’s visit to be organised at Mumbai (CSMT/Central Railway) as at this Railway station, it can showcase different aspects of train operations and maintenance.
Why 8th Pay Commission wants to inspect Railway operations and activities
In the inspection, the 8th Pay Commission is proposed to inspect and understand the nature of railway jobs firsthand, risks, hardships, complexities involved in different railway operations and multifarious operations performed by various departments.
The firsthand experience of these operations will give the 8th Pay Commission an idea about renumerations of these employees in salary revision.
Which railway operations 8th Pay Commission has proposed to visit
The Railway board letter says that the 8th Pay Commission may observe these operations and activities run by different employees. The operations under consideration for the visit are-
i) Track maintenance activities by track maintainers, particularly that of keymen and patrolmen with special emphasis on the physical hardships faced by them and the high risk of death and grievous injuries in course of duty.
(ii) Activities of technicians and related categories of P way, bridge, S&T and electrical departments.
(iii) Duties and activities of pointsmen.
(iv) Signal maintenance activities.
(v) Bridge inspection activities.
(vi) Footplate inspection in a high speed corridor to understand the working of running staff and the high pressure faced by them during train operations.
(vii) Visit to control room to observe working of controllers.
(viii) Station operations including the regulation of train movement, shunting, crowd management, sanitation and commercial activities.
(ix) Visit to a workshop for showcasing the arduous maintenance activities and the innovations by Railway engineers in the field.
(x) Presentation regarding management of trains and crowd during the recently concluded Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj.
(xi) Track maintenance and train operations in Ghat Section.
IRTSA demands inclusion of more operations during 8th Pay Commission’s visit
Indian Railway Technical Supervisors’ Association (IRTSA), the main employee body of Railway technical staff in India, has, meanwhile, demanded the Railway board to include the inspection of more operations during the 8th Pay Commission’s visit.
IRTSA, in a letter dated, July 4, 2026, wrote to the Railway board that certain vital and highly specialised activities, which are indispensable to the safe and efficient functioning of Railways, also deserve to be included in the programme of the 8th CPC’s visit.
8th CPC likely to visit Railway employees’ working conditions before salary revision
Railway Board, in a letter dated July 2, 2026, has informed the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) and All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF), that the 8th Pay Commission has desired to witness firsthand the working of Indian Railways and all aspects associated with operations and maintenance of rail traffic.
The venue of the 8th Pay Commission’s visit is yet to be decided. However, the Railway board has proposed the commission’s visit to be organised at Mumbai (CSMT/Central Railway) as at this Railway station, it can showcase different aspects of train operations and maintenance.
Why 8th Pay Commission wants to inspect Railway operations and activities
In the inspection, the 8th Pay Commission is proposed to inspect and understand the nature of railway jobs firsthand, risks, hardships, complexities involved in different railway operations and multifarious operations performed by various departments.
The firsthand experience of these operations will give the 8th Pay Commission an idea about renumerations of these employees in salary revision.
Which railway operations 8th Pay Commission has proposed to visit
The Railway board letter says that the 8th Pay Commission may observe these operations and activities run by different employees. The operations under consideration for the visit are-
i) Track maintenance activities by track maintainers, particularly that of keymen and patrolmen with special emphasis on the physical hardships faced by them and the high risk of death and grievous injuries in course of duty.
(ii) Activities of technicians and related categories of P way, bridge, S&T and electrical departments.
(iii) Duties and activities of pointsmen.
(iv) Signal maintenance activities.
(v) Bridge inspection activities.
(vi) Footplate inspection in a high speed corridor to understand the working of running staff and the high pressure faced by them during train operations.
(vii) Visit to control room to observe working of controllers.
(viii) Station operations including the regulation of train movement, shunting, crowd management, sanitation and commercial activities.
(ix) Visit to a workshop for showcasing the arduous maintenance activities and the innovations by Railway engineers in the field.
(x) Presentation regarding management of trains and crowd during the recently concluded Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj.
(xi) Track maintenance and train operations in Ghat Section.
IRTSA demands inclusion of more operations during 8th Pay Commission’s visit
Indian Railway Technical Supervisors’ Association (IRTSA), the main employee body of Railway technical staff in India, has, meanwhile, demanded the Railway board to include the inspection of more operations during the 8th Pay Commission’s visit.
IRTSA, in a letter dated, July 4, 2026, wrote to the Railway board that certain vital and highly specialised activities, which are indispensable to the safe and efficient functioning of Railways, also deserve to be included in the programme of the 8th CPC’s visit.
Next Story