The Union Cabinet on Wednesday has approved productivity-linked bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wage to eligible non-gazetted employees of the Indian Railways, excluding RPF/RPSF personnel, for fiscal year 2020-21.

Briefing the media on the key decisions taken by the Cabinet, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said as many as 11.56 lakh non-gazetted Railways staff are expected to benefit from the move.

“Cabinet approves Productivity Linked Bonus equivalent to 78 days’ wage to eligible non-gazetted Railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) for financial year 2020-21. About 11.56 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees are likely to benefit from the decision,” the union government said after the Cabinet meeting.

The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB to the eligible non-gazetted railway employees is Rs 7,000 per month. The maximum amount payable per eligible railway employee is Rs 17,951 for 78 days.

The PLB amount of 78 days’ wages were paid for the financial years from 2010-11 to 2019-20, an official statement said.

In 2019-20, the Indian Railways had given its nearly 11.58 lakh non-gazetted employees a bonus of 78 days amounting to a total of Rs 2,081.68 crore.

Last year, the Indian Railways had set the wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of the bonus at Rs 7,000 per month. The maximum amount payable per eligible railway employee was set at Rs 17,951 for 78 days.

The productivity-linked bonus on the railways covers all non-gazetted railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) who are spread over the entire country. Payment of PLB to eligible railway employees is made each year before the Dusshera/Puja holidays.