Diwali bonus: MSTRC announces ₹10,000 each for 83,000 employees, 2% DA hike, festival advance for eligible staff
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) this week announced Diwali bonus and other benefits for around 83,000 of its employees, PTI reported. This was announced at a meeting with representatives of various employee unions of the MSRTC at the Transport Commissioner’s office in Bandra, Mumbai.
Maharashtra State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik in an announcement on Thursday, 5 November said the state-run transport undertaking will release Diwali bonus of ₹10,000 each for around 83,000 employees, it added.
Further, dearness allowance (DA) has been increased by 2% from 58% to 60%, and eligible employees will also receive an advance of ₹12,500 for the festival, Sarnaik said. The decisions regarding bonus and DA will put an additional burden of around ₹160 crore on the corporation, the minister added.
Relief for MSRTC employees in Diwali
“Despite the corporation facing financial difficulties, the government was committed to ensuring that employees celebrate Diwali. ST officers and employees work round the clock to provide safe travel to lakhs of passengers. Providing them a bonus on the occasion of Diwali is not merely an act of generosity but their right,” Sarnaik said.
He appealed to employees not to resort to protests or strikes, saying any agitation could inconvenience ordinary passengers who depend on the state transport undertaking. Sarnaik added that the government and the corporation were committed to resolving employees’ issues through dialogue while improving passenger services and strengthening the MSRTC’s financial position.
MSRTC, the largest state-run public transport undertaking in the country, has a fleet of nearly 15,000 buses and ferries around 55 lakh passengers daily.
Diwali gift for UP govt employees
The Uttar Pradesh government has approved a 30-day ad hoc bonus for eligible state government employees for the financial year 2025-26, ahead of Diwali.
Under the new order, employees can receive a maximum bonus of ₹6,908, subject to the prescribed salary ceiling. However, the entire amount will not be paid directly into their bank accounts. The government has decided to credit 75% of the approved bonus to employees’ provident fund accounts, while the remaining 25% will be paid in cash.
The bonus will cover full-time, non-gazetted state government employees working in posts up to Pay Matrix Level 8, with a pay range of ₹47,600 to ₹1,51,100. Employees under the earlier pay structure with a grade pay of up to ₹4,800 will also qualify.
The benefit extends beyond regular state government departments. Employees of educational and technical institutions receiving grants from the state government, local bodies, district panchayats and work-charged establishments of government departments are also covered.
