8th CPC Portal Must Be Glitch-Free Before April 30 Deadline: AIDEF’s C. Srikumar

OPINION PIECE

With the April 30 deadline for submission of memorandums to the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) fast approaching, serious concerns have emerged over technical glitches in the Commission’s online submission portal.

Employee organisations, federations, and pensioners across the country have reported persistent difficulties, prompting strong criticism from staff representatives.

Major Technical Issues Reported

According to complaints received by stakeholders, the portal has been plagued by multiple issues, including:

• Frequent OTP verification failures displaying: “Hmmm… can’t reach this page”
• Submission errors stating: “Invalid input detected. HTML tags are not allowed”
• Mismatch in structure: 47 sub-themes exist, but only 18 response fields are available

These issues have made it extremely difficult for organisations and pensioners to upload their memorandums within the stipulated time.

AIDEF Raises Strong Objections

C. Srikumar, General Secretary of All India Defence Employees Federation and a Standing Committee Member of National Council (JCM), expressed serious dissatisfaction with the process.

He pointed out that, unlike previous Pay Commissions, the current Commission has:

• Not consulted employee organisations on procedures
• Restricted submissions strictly to an online portal
• Imposed limitations such as word caps and theme restrictions

Srikumar noted that even the initial 300-word limit per response was not functioning properly and had to be rectified after intervention with Pankaj Jain, Member Secretary of the Commission.

Concerns Over Restricted Submission Format

The AIDEF has also objected to the limitation of memorandums to just nine themes, arguing that several critical employee issues fall outside these predefined categories.

Srikumar emphasized that: “Technology should adapt to human needs rather than forcing people to adapt to technology.”

He urged the Commission to:

• Remove theme and character restrictions
• Make the portal user-friendly
• Allow submissions via email and post
• Provide opportunities for personal hearings

Broader Concerns on Employee Grievances

Beyond technical issues, Srikumar highlighted deeper systemic concerns:

• Weakening of the JCM mechanism
• Rising litigation in service matters
• Financial burden on employees due to prolonged court cases
• Repeated appeals by the government up to the Supreme Court

He noted that the judiciary has repeatedly criticized such practices, calling them contrary to the National Litigation Policy.

Call for Immediate Action

With time running out, employee unions are urging the 8th Central Pay Commission to urgently resolve these technical barriers and adopt a more inclusive approach.

Srikumar concluded that the Commission must act “dispassionately” to address grievances and ensure stronger industrial relations, democratic processes, and meaningful bipartite engagement.

Views expressed here are those of C, Srikumar, veteran trade union leader and General Secretary of AIDEF