The Indian Railways Technical Supervisors' Association (IRTSA) has urged the Centre to raise the Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) wage ceiling for non-gazetted railway employees, seeking a minimum ceiling of ₹18,000 plus dearness allowance (DA) for Level-1 employees. According to reports from Mint, for employees in Level-2 and above, the association has demanded that the ceiling be increased proportionately in line with their higher pay levels. The PLB is announced and disbursed every year just before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays as a festive incentive for non-gazetted employees.
In a letter dated September 8, IRTSA Secretary General KV Ramesh wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, pointing out that the existing PLB ceiling of ₹7,000 was fixed in Financial Year 2014-15. As reported by Mint, the association stated that the ceiling no longer reflects the salary structure under the 7th Pay Commission or the current DA rate of 60%. The PLB amount for non-gazetted railway employees has effectively remained at ₹17,951 since 2014-15, when the 6th Pay Commission salary structure was applicable.
IRTSA has provided a calculation explaining the minimum bonus it wants for railway employees. According to Mint, the association said that if the PLB were calculated using the minimum basic pay of ₹18,000 for 78 days, the bonus would amount to ₹46,184. A key difference is that the Productivity Linked Bonus for railway employees is calculated on the basis of 78 days, while for other central government employees, the PLB is calculated using 30 days. The demand seeks to align the bonus calculation with the present basic pay structure while retaining the existing 78-day calculation applicable to railway employees.
The demand from IRTSA comes soon after the National Council–Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), the main body representing central government employees, sought an increase in the PLB wage ceiling for all non-gazetted employees. As reported by Mint, last month, NC-JCM requested the government to raise the ceiling from ₹7,000 to ₹21,000. Employee associations have argued that the existing ceiling is no longer aligned with the current pay structure because the minimum basic salary under the 7th Pay Commission is ₹18,000. They have also pointed to the significant increase in DA since the existing PLB ceiling was established.
While railway employees seek PLB increases, Central Government employees continue to demand release of 18-month DA arrears from the COVID-19 freeze period. During the pandemic, the Government froze three DA installments from January 2020 to June 2021, saving approximately ₹37,530 crore for the Central Government. The freeze affected nearly 50 lakh Central Government employees and about 65 lakh pensioners, with DA restored only from 1 July 2021 at a revised rate of 28%. However, as of June 2026, no official announcement has been made approving payment of the frozen DA/DR arrears for the 18-month period. Recent Supreme Court decisions concerning state government employees have renewed discussions but do not automatically grant arrears to Central Government employees.
