The Railways has announced a productivity-linked bonus which is equal to 78 days’ salary for about 11.56 lakh eligible non-gazetted Railway staff. This bonus, for the financial year 2020-21, will cost the exchequer almost Rs 1,985 crore. The Indian Railways has also appointed more than 2,800 people on compassionate grounds. These are family members or kin — the son or the wife in majority of the cases — of staff members who succumbed to COVID-19. The process of appointing these people, mostly in Group D category, will be over by end of November.
About 3,256 railway staff from across hierarchies and departments died of COVID since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020. The maximum deaths, about 743, occurred in the Mumbai-based Central Railway and Western Railway.
There are cases, wherein on special request, the Railways has kept on hold the employment of some eligible kin so that they can complete their higher education and become eligible for better ranks or profiles.
Meanwhile, the wage calculation limit for the productivity-linked bonus is Rs 7000/- per month. The maximum amount payable per eligible staff member is Rs. 17,951 for 78 days.
If all goes according to plan, the employees should get their well-deserved bonuses before Dussehra. Many railway staff were reporting for duty even amidst the pandemic, putting their lives at risk.
