The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for the financial year 2024-25, benefiting 10.91 lakh non-gazetted railway employees.
The move, costing Rs 1,865.68 crore, comes ahead of the Durga Puja and Dussehra festivals and continues the government’s annual practice of rewarding railway staff. The maximum PLB payable to each employee this year is Rs 17,951.
Beneficiaries include track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff, and other Group ‘C’ employees. The government said the move recognises the “excellent performance” of railway staff and will act as an incentive to further improve productivity. Payment of PLB is an annual exercise undertaken ahead of the Durga Puja and Dussehra festivals.
Indian Railways reported a strong performance in FY 2024-25, loading a record 1,614.90 million tonnes of cargo and transporting nearly 7.3 billion passengers.
Major Rail and Road Projects in Bihar
Alongside the PLB, the Cabinet cleared a Rs 2,192 crore project for doubling the 104 km Bakhtiyarpur–Rajgir–Tilaiya single railway line in Bihar. Covering four districts, the line will improve connectivity to key tourist and pilgrimage centres such as Rajgir, Nalanda, and Pawapuri, while enhancing rail access to 1,434 villages and 13.46 lakh people, including residents of the aspirational districts of Gaya and Nawada.
The Cabinet also approved the construction of the Sahebganj–Areraj–Bettiah section of NH-139W in Bihar. The 78.94 km stretch will be built as a four-lane highway under the Hybrid Annuity Model, at a cost of Rs 3,822.31 crore.
Boost for Shipbuilding and Maritime Sector
In a significant move to strengthen India’s maritime economy, the Cabinet greenlit a Rs 69,725 crore package aimed at revitalising the domestic shipbuilding sector. The plan rests on a four-pillar strategy, covering shipbuilding, maritime financing, and capacity enhancement. The comprehensive four-pillar plan focuses on enhancing shipbuilding capabilities, developing maritime financing structures, expanding domestic capacity, and creating a supportive ecosystem for global competitiveness.