NCOA Meets DPE Economic Advisor; Raises Key Issues on IDA Revision, 4th PRC and Employee Benefits – Indian PSU
A delegation of the National Confederation of Officers’ Associations (NCOA), led by President M. S. Adasul, Working President N. K. Banchhor, and Chairman (GC) V. K. Tamar, met the Economic Advisor & Joint Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), on May 14, 2026, to discuss several pressing issues concerning Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs).
The NCOA delegation expressed appreciation for the removal of the controversial Clause 5 from the IDA revision orders. However, they highlighted that several loss-making CPSUs have yet to implement the IDA revision effective January 1, 2026, citing complications arising from the February 2026 orders.
Responding to the concerns, the Economic Advisor clarified that following the issuance of revised orders in April 2026, there should no longer be any impediment to implementing the IDA revision from January 1, 2026. He further stated that the DPE has no additional role in the matter at this stage.
The delegation pointed out that certain PSUs, including BSNL and MTNL, are still facing challenges in disbursing the enhanced IDA as per the DPE Office Memorandum dated February 27, 2026. The Economic Advisor reiterated that such issues should not persist now and assured that any queries raised by administrative ministries would be addressed promptly.
On the constitution of the 4th Pay Revision Committee (PRC), the Economic Advisor informed that DPE has completed all preparatory work. However, since the report of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) is expected by mid-2027, the department intends to wait before forwarding the proposal to the Cabinet Secretary. He encouraged NCOA to submit detailed sector-wise suggestions and presentations, assuring that these would receive due consideration.
The issue of non-implementation of Child Care Leave (CCL) in several PSUs was also raised. The Economic Advisor advised NCOA to submit a draft proposal aligned with Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) guidelines, enabling DPE to issue an independent order for uniform implementation across PSUs.
Additionally, the delegation highlighted the hardships caused by the affordability clause applied in the 3rd PRC. They urged its removal in the upcoming 4th PRC framework. Acknowledging the concern, the Economic Advisor requested NCOA to propose alternative mechanisms that would allow employee benefits to be extended while rationally easing the affordability clause.
The meeting concluded on a constructive note, with assurances from the DPE for prompt resolution of pending issues and openness to stakeholder inputs for future policy frameworks.
