New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the payment of the Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 78 days, totaling ₹1,865.68 crore, to 10,91,146 railway employees in recognition of their outstanding performance.
The PLB is disbursed annually to eligible railway staff ahead of the Durga Puja/Dussehra holidays. This year, approximately 10.91 lakh non-gazetted employees will receive a bonus equivalent to 78 days’ wages. The maximum PLB payable to each eligible employee is ₹17,951.
The bonus covers various categories of railway staff, including Track Maintainers, Loco Pilots, Train Managers (Guards), Station Masters, Supervisors, Technicians, Technician Helpers, Pointsmen, Ministerial Staff, and other Group ‘C’ employees. It serves as an incentive to motivate employees to further enhance the performance of Indian Railways.
During 2024-25, Indian Railways achieved remarkable performance, transporting a record 1,614.90 million tonnes of cargo and carrying nearly 7.3 billion passengers.
In infrastructure developments, the Cabinet approved the doubling of the Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya single railway line section in Bihar (104 km) at a cost of ₹2,192 crore. Covering four districts, the project will extend the existing railway network by 104 km and improve connectivity to key destinations such as Rajgir (Shanti Stupa), Nalanda, and Pawapuri, attracting pilgrims and tourists nationwide. The multi-tracking project will benefit approximately 1,434 villages, around 13.46 lakh people, and two Aspirational Districts—Gaya and Nawada.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved the construction of a 4-lane Sahebganj–Areraj–Bettiah section of NH-139W in Bihar under the Hybrid Annuity Mode. The 78.942 km project is estimated at ₹3,822.31 crore.
The government also green-lighted a ₹69,725 crore package to revitalize India’s shipbuilding and maritime sector, implementing a comprehensive four-pillar strategy focused on shipbuilding, maritime financing, and boosting domestic capacity.
