On account of the Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi festivals, the Centre has decided to release the salaries and pensions for Central government employees in Kerala and Maharashtra ahead of time. In an office memorandum, the Ministry of Finance said that central government employees in Kerala can draw their August salary on August 25. In Maharashtra, salaries of central government employees for September salary will be available for withdrawal on September 27.
The government has also advised banks/PAOs to disburse pensions of all central government pensioners in the states on the same day.
"In view of the ‘Onam’ and ‘Ganpati’ festivals, the government has decided that the salary/wages/pension of all Central Government employees in the State of Kerala for the month of August 2023 and in the state of Maharashtra for the month of September 2023 may be drawn and disbursed by the Central Government offices (including Defence, Posts & Telecommunications) as per the following dates —(i) Kerala: 25-08-2023 (Friday); (ii) Maharashtra: 27-09-2023 (Wednesday)," the office memorandum dated August 14, 2023, the Ministry of Finance said, as per the Economic Times.
The wages of the industrial employees of the central government serving in the States of Kerala and Maharashtra may also be disbursed in advance as per the dates given above, the finance ministry added.
"The salary/wages/pension so disbursed is to be treated as advance payments and will be subject to adjustment after the full month’s salary/wages/pension of each employee/pensioner is determined. The adjustment, if any, will be made without exception from the salary/wages/pension of the month of August/September 2023," the ministry also clarified.
The Finance Ministry also said that the concerned ministries/departments are requested to bring these instructions to the notice of their offices in Kerala and Maharashtra for necessary action. "It also requested the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to bring these instructions to the notice of all paying branches of all banks located in the State of Kerala/Maharashtra for necessary action immediately," the ministry memo read.
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Kerala Govt Employees To Get Bonus For Onam
The Kerala government has also announced a bonus of Rs 4,000 for state government employees as part of the Onam celebration, according to a PTI report. Those employees not eligible for the bonus will receive a special festival allowance of Rs 2,750, as per the report.
Furthermore, service pensioners and employees who retired under the contributory pension scheme will receive a special festival allowance of Rs 1,000.
All employee categories, including contract-scheme workers who received bonuses last year, will receive the same-rate bonus this year, according to the government. This initiative will benefit over 13 lakh government sector workers and labourers on the occasion of Onam, said Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal, as per PTI.