8th Pay Commission: THIS State Becomes First To Set Up - Will Employees Get Salary Hike Before Central Govt Staffs?

Assam has emerged as the first state in the country to constitute the 8th Pay Commission, following the Centre’s decision to set up a new pay panel. The commission will review salaries, pensions and allowances

for nearly 7 lakh serving employees and pensioners of the Assam government. However, despite the early move, revised pay is unlikely to be implemented before the Centre rolls out its recommendations, said a report by the The Financial Express.The decision was announced on January 1, 2026, by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who said the state would take the lead in initiating the pay revision process. Former Additional Chief Secretary Subhas Das has been appointed as the chairman of the commission.The development is significant as the central government has already constituted its own 8th Pay Commission, headed by Justice Ranjana Desai. The Centre’s three-member panel has been given 18 months to submit its report.Similarly, Assam’s pay commission is also expected to submit its recommendations within 18 months, covering pay structure, pensions, allowances and service conditions of state government employees and retirees.When will revised pay be implemented?With the commission being formed in January 2026, revised salaries and pensions in Assam are likely to be implemented only by late 2027 or early 2028. However, as seen in past pay revisions, arrears are expected to be paid retrospectively from January 1, 2026.Will Assam employees get revised pay before central staff?Despite Assam moving faster than other states, it is highly unlikely that state employees will receive revised pay before central government employees.While the Centre announced the formation of the 8th Pay Commission in January 2025, it took nearly 10 months to finalise the Terms of Reference and appoint its members. In contrast, Assam not only announced the commission but also named its chairman upfront, signalling quicker administrative action.Even so, historical precedent suggests that states usually implement pay commission recommendations after the Centre, not before.7th Pay Commission term endsPay commissions at both central and state levels typically operate on a 10-year cycle. The 7th Pay Commission’s tenure officially ended on December 31, 2025.In Assam, the 7th Pay Commission recommendations were implemented from April 1, 2017, though the reference date for calculating pay, pension and benefits remained January 1, 2016, in line with the Centre.Past trends show that states often lag behind the Centre in implementing pay commission recommendations. In fact, some states are still paying salaries under the 6th Pay Commission, having not yet adopted the 7th Pay Commission framework.