Recently the Tamilnadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced announced 20 per cent Deepavali bonus and ex gratia to employees of State public sector undertakings, including transport corporations and electricity board, benefiting over two lakh government employees. It would cost the exchequer over Rs. 220 crore.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said 8.33 per cent bonus and 11.67 per cent ex gratia would be paid to 1.38 lakh employees of various State transport corporations and 8.33 per cent bonus to temporary staff.
Likewise, nearly 75,000 employees of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation and Transmission Corporation, subsidiaries of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) Limited, would be paid 20 per cent bonus and ex gratia. Ex gratia of Rs. 1,500 would be paid to 9,350 contract workers of the corporations.
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) would pay bonus to its 28,910 employees across the State. Employees of the Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation, Arasu Rubber Corporation, Tamil Nadu Forest Corporation, Poompuhar Shipping Corporation, Tamil Nadu Text Book Corporation, Cooperative and the public sector sugar mills and ‘Aavin’ would all be paid 20 per cent bonus. Employees of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation belonging to ‘C’ and ‘D’ categories would be paid 20 per cent bonus and employees at the direct procurement centres 8.33 per cent bonus and 11.67 per cent ex gratia or a minimum of Rs. 2,000 as ex gratia whichever was higher.
The Poompuhar Shipping Corporation’s employees would also get similar bonus.
Staff of the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) and Metrowater would be paid 10 per cent bonus and ex gratia. The TWAD Board’s ‘C’ and ‘D’ group staff would be paid 8.33 per cent bonus.
The Chief Minister has asked the public sector under takings to make the payments immediately.