NEW DELHI: THE Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a productivity-linked bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages worth Rs 2,009.61 crore to around 11 lakh railway employees ahead of the festive season.
Payment of PLB to eligible railway employees is made each year before the Dussehra and Diwali holidays.
The Cabinet also extended the National Social Assistance Programme for another five years till 2030-31, with an outlay of Rs 53,428 crore. The programme will be renamed the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana.
Under the revised provisions, monthly assistance under the disability pension scheme will be Rs 375 for beneficiaries aged up to 79 years and Rs 625 for those above 80 years. The minimum benchmark disability requirement will be reduced from 80% to 40%.
As part of the restructuring of the social welfare programmes, the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme has been renamed to Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana and the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme to Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana.
Similarly, the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme will be known as Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana and the National Family Benefit Scheme will become the Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana.