7th Pay Commission: CMRL To Pay Rs 15K Diwali Bonus For Chennai Metro Workers

In a move to boost the morale of its nearly 300 non-executive workers, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 15,000 on Monday to mark the Deepavali festival.

It comes after the permanent workers of CMRL demanded Deepavali bonus on October 25.

For the first time since its inception in 2015, CMRL has issued this ex gratia for its non-executive employees for the 2023-24 financial year.

Who are eligible to get bonus?

According to a circular issued on Monday, employees who have worked continuously for a full year from August 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, will be eligible for the full amount. Those who have served for six months or more within this period are also eligible but will receive a proportional amount based on their duration of service.

"This is a welcome move by CMRL in line with the government's order to provide the ex gratia amount to employees in state-run PSUs," DTNext quoted a member of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) as saying. The ex gratia payment, however, applies only to non-executive staff, with no mention of benefits for around 200 permanent executive employees.

For non-executive staff at CMRL, the ex gratia comes as a much-needed recognition of their contributions, adding festive cheer as they prepare to celebrate Deepavali with their families.