In a heartwarming gesture, the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sanctioned bonuses for Group C and non-gazetted Group B officials, which also includes personnel from paramilitary forces, just in time for Diwali celebrations. The Finance Ministry, responsible for this move, has set the upper limit for non-productivity linked bonuses (ad hoc bonuses) for central government employees at ₹7,000 for the financial year 2022-23.
In an official memorandum issued by the Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry, it was conveyed that a non-productivity linked bonus, equivalent to 30 days of emoluments for the accounting year 2022-23, has been approved for central government employees in Group ‘C’ and all non-gazetted employees in Group ‘B’ who are not covered by any productivity-linked bonus scheme.
This bonus distribution, however, is subject to certain conditions laid down by the government:
1. Eligibility Criteria: Only employees who were in service as of March 31, 2023, and have rendered at least six months of continuous service during the year 2022-23 will be eligible for this bonus. Pro-rata payment will be applicable to eligible employees based on the number of months of continuous service within the range of six months to a full year.
2. Bonus Calculation: The quantum of non-productivity linked bonus will be computed based on either average emoluments or the calculation ceiling, depending on which is lower. To determine the bonus for a single day, the average emoluments for a year will be divided by 30.4 (the average number of days in a month). This result will then be multiplied by the number of bonus days granted. For instance, if the calculation ceiling for monthly emoluments is set at ₹7,000 (in cases where actual average emoluments exceed ₹7,000), the non-productivity linked bonus for thirty days would amount to ₹7,000 x 30 / 30.4, which is approximately ₹6,907.89, rounded up to ₹6,908.
3. Casual Labor Eligibility: Casual laborers who have worked in offices adhering to a 6-day workweek for a minimum of 240 days per year for three years or more (or 206 days each year for three years or more for offices with a 5-day workweek) are eligible for the non-productivity linked bonus payment. The payment amount for such individuals will be ₹1,200 x 30 / 30.4, which equals ₹1,184.21 (rounded up to ₹1,184). If the actual emoluments are below ₹1,200 per month, the bonus amount will be calculated based on the actual monthly emoluments.
4. Rounding Off: All payments under these orders will be rounded off to the nearest rupee.
5. Expenditure: The expenditure for this ad-hoc bonus will be debited to the respective object head in line with the Department of Expenditure’s notification dated December 16, 2022.
6. Budget Provision: The government has clarified that the expense for this non-productivity linked bonus will be drawn from the sanctioned budget allocation of the respective ministries and departments for the current year.
