The Union Cabinet on Wednesday 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.

The financial outgo this year is going to be ₹1,985 crore. In 2020, the financial outgo was pegged at ₹2,081.68 crore.

According to reports, the Railways Ministry has presented a proposal in front of the Union Cabinet for payment of PLB equivalent to 78 days' wages for the FY 2020-21 for all eligible non-gazetted railway employees, which was approved by the Cabinet today.

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

Last year, the Indian Railways had disbursed a bonus worth 78 days' wages to its 11.58 lakh non-gazetted employees after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet had approved disbursal of productivity and non-productivity-linked bonus for 2019-2020 to more than 30 lakh central government employees.