Good news for railway employees! Cabinet announces 78-day bonus ahead of festive season

Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday made a big announcement for Indian Railway employees ahead of the festive season. The government has declared a 78-day bonus to the Railway employees. The benefit of this bonus will be given to about 11.52 lakh eligible non-gazetted Railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) for the financial year 2018-19.

"For 11 lakh Railways' employees, this govt has consistently for last 6 years, been giving record bonus, equivalent to the wage of 78 days. This year also, 11,52,000 employees will get 78 days wage as bonus," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a press conference.

The Union Minister said that this is for the sixth consecutive year that the government had given productivity linked bonus (PLB) to railway employees.

#Cabinet approves Payment of PLB to railway employees for the FY 2018-19

Details here: https://t.co/smwKKDyxB9 pic.twitter.com/iL0qs0lS9g

- PIB India (@PIB_India) September 18, 2019

"This is the reward for productivity," he added.

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It would benefit 11 lakh employees and would cost the exchequer Rs 2,024 crore, said Javadekar, adding that it is an acknowledgement of their contribution to the efficient running of the Railways.

"There being large number of railwaymen and their families, this acknowledgement will enhance the sense of inclusiveness and equity among them."

Among other major announcements, the union cabinet gave its approval to ban e-cigarettes. "It means the production, manufacturing, import/export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertising related to e-cigarettes are banned," said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was also addressing the media.

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar