(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
India’s government has some good news for railway workers. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) of 78 days’ wages, totaling Rs 1,865.68 crore. This bonus goes to over 1.09 million non-gazetted railway employees who delivered outstanding performance.
Every year, the PLB arrives just before Durga Puja and Dussehra festivals, giving staff a timely boost. This time, it’s the same 78 days’ pay for about 10.91 lakh workers. The bonus motivates everyone to keep pushing Indian Railways forward, from better services to higher efficiency.
Each eligible employee can receive up to Rs 17,951. It covers key roles like track maintainers, loco pilots, guards, station masters, supervisors, technicians, helpers, pointsmen, and clerical staff in Group C.
Indian Railways had a stellar year in 2024-25. They loaded a record 1,614.90 million tonnes of cargo and transported nearly 7.3 billion passengers—numbers that show real growth in freight and passenger services.
The Cabinet didn’t stop there. They greenlit a major upgrade in Bihar: doubling the single-track Bakhtiyarpur-Rajgir-Tilaiya railway line over 104 km, at a cost of Rs 2,192 crore. This project spans four districts and adds 104 km to the network. It connects popular spots like Rajgir’s Shanti Stupa, Nalanda, and Pawapuri, drawing pilgrims and tourists nationwide.
Better yet, the multi-tracking will link up around 1,434 villages and serve about 13.46 lakh people. It also supports two aspirational districts, Gaya and Nawada, improving connectivity and economic opportunities.
In more Bihar infrastructure wins, the Cabinet okayed building a 4-lane highway on the Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah stretch of NH-139W. This 78.942 km project runs on a hybrid annuity mode and costs Rs 3,822.31 crore, aiming to ease traffic and boost regional travel.
Finally, a big push for India’s maritime future: The government approved a Rs 69,725 crore package to revive shipbuilding and the maritime sector. It follows a four-pillar plan focusing on shipbuilding, maritime financing, and building domestic capacity to strengthen India’s global shipping role.
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