Overview
- Union Cabinet cleared a Productivity-Linked Bonus equivalent to 78 days’ wages for 10,91,146 non-gazetted railway employees at a total cost of ₹1,865.68 crore.
- The payment will be made before Durga Puja/Dussehra and is intended to lift consumption during the festive season.
- Eligible categories include track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group C workers.
- The maximum payable amount per employee is ₹17,951 for 2024–25, with the government highlighting record freight of 1,614.90 million tonnes and nearly 7.3 billion passengers.
- Railway unions welcomed the release but continue to demand that PLB calculations be aligned with the 7th pay commission, noting last year’s higher outlay reached 11.72 lakh staff.