About 13 lakh state government employees and labourers working in the state government in Kerala have reason to cheer. The Kerala government is giving them a festival bonus on the occasion of Onam. Rs 4,000 each will be the bonus for those entitled. Those who are not entitled will receive Rs 2,750 as special festival allowance, as announced by Finance Minister K N Balagopal.
State government employees will also be entitled to a festival advance of Rs 20,000. Part-timers and contingent staff will receive an advance of Rs 6,000 on their salaries.
Pensioners and employees who are part of the contributory pension scheme will receive a special festival allowance of Rs 1,000.
After two years of the state festival of Kerala being a low-key affair due to the pandemic, this year, the people of the State are in a mood to celebrate the festival. Even the private-sector employees usually receive an Onam bonus, where most companies give them a month’s salary as bonus.
The Kerala government will also begin distributing welfare pensions to over 57 lakh beneficiaries, and it is aiming to complete the process before Onam.
The government took a loan of Rs 3,000 crore to be able to fulfil the demands of the festival season. As reported by Mathrubhoomi, an amount of Rs 1,540 crore has been set aside to pay the welfare pensions for the months of July and August, via the Kerala Social Security Pension (KSSPL)
