With just few days left for the Diwali festival season, the Union Cabinet has approved the much-awaited Diwali bonus for 30 lakh employees. In a press briefing held in New Delhi on Wednesday October 21, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi took two major decisions today -- one regarding Diwali Bonus and one regarding Jammu-Kashmir. ALSO READ | Income Tax Return Filings AY 2020-21: Know Last Date, Documents Required And Steps To File Returns

Diwali Bonus For 30 Lakh Employees

The union minister announced that the cabinet has approved Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB)for the year 2019-2020 to 16.97 lakh non-gazetted employees of commercial establishments.

More than 30 lakh non-gazetted employees of commercial establishments like Railways, Posts, Defence, EPFO,ESIC will be benefited by the bonus announcement and total financial implication will be Rs 3,737 crores.

Non-PLB or ad-hoc Bonus is given to Non-Gazetted Central Government employees. 13.70 lakh employees would be benefited and Rs.946 crore will be the financial implication for the same.

The minister told the press that bonus will be given immediately in single installment to a total of 30.67 lakh non-gazetted employees through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

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Panchayati Raj Act, 1989

As announced by the Minister, the Union cabinet has approved adaptation of the Jammu & Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989. Prakash Javadekar told the media that 3-tier system of Gram Panchayat, Block Development and District development Council which was promised by the Prime Minister in Jammu-Kashmir and Home Minister in Parliament, has been approved by the Union Cabinet today.

This move will help establish all the three tiers of grass-root level democracy like in other parts of the country, minister said. Referring to Article 370 of the Constitution that was abrogated last year. the minister said that the three-tier system was not available in Jammu and Kashmir in the "pre-370 period". He also added that the process for local body elections will start soon.