Railways to give 78 days' salary to select staff as bonus

Mumbai: As many as 12.3 lakh non-gazetted railway staff will have a cheerful festive season this year as the Union Cabinet has given its nod to a productivity linked bonus for them that will be equivalent to 78 days' wages, according to a report on the IANS. The bonus has been a tradition of the rail ministry that doles out bonuses to its select staff ahead of festivals.

The government later in the day released a statement saying the payment will be made before Dussehra holidays, according to the IANS report. The government will incur an extra cost for of Rs 2,245.45 crore for distributing the dole outs.

For distribution The financial implication of payment of 78 days' PLB to railway employees has been estimated to be Rs 2,245.45 crore.

However, Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force have been kept out of the purview of the PLB. The bonus that has been endorsed and announced for the identified staff will be for the 2016-17 financial year.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley broefed the media about the important decisions that the Union Cabinet made on Wednesday. "According to the formula, it was calculated to be given for 72 days but for the past six years it has been a tradition of giving them the bonus for 78 days, so the Cabinet has approved a 78 day productivity linked bonus for them," Jaitley told the curious media persons.