Union Cabinet approves 78-day productivity linked bonus for over 11.72 lakh railway employees

New Delhi [India], October 3 : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday has approved the payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 78 days to over 11.72 lakh railway employees.
The total bonus amount is Rs 2,028.57 crore, and it will benefit a wide range of non-gazetted railway staff, including track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff, and other Group C employees.
This bonus is seen as a reward for the excellent performance of the Railway staff during the year 2023-24. "The payment of PLB acts as an incentive to motivate the railway employees for working towards improvement in the performance of the Railways," according to the Cabinet's official statement.
Each eligible railway employee will receive a maximum amount of Rs. 17,951 for 78 days' worth of wages. The bonus is traditionally distributed before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays every year, and this year is no exception.
The Railways achieved a record performance during the 2023-2024 financial year, loading 1,588 million tonnes of cargo and transporting approximately 6.7 billion passengers. According to the Cabinet, the improvement in infrastructure, driven by record capital expenditure from the government, efficiency in operations, and better technology, contributed significantly to this achievement.
The Productivity Linked Bonus also aims to recognize and encourage railway employees for their continued efforts in improving the railway's performance.