PANAJI: Goa government announces the payment of Diwali bonus for its employees, covering Group C and non-gazetted Group B staff, except those drawing a Grade Pay of Rs 4,600 and above (presently in Level 7 of the Pay Matrix of the Seventh Pay Commission) as of April 1, 2025. The bonus will be credited through e-payment on or before October 20, 2025.
In an official memorandum issued today, the Finance Department stated that the scheme also applies to employees of autonomous bodies partly or fully funded by the government, provided they follow the government’s pay structure and do not have any other bonus, ex-gratia, or incentive scheme in place.
The announcement aligns with a similar Office Memorandum issued by the Government of India for central government employees for 2024-25, which allows an ad-hoc bonus equivalent to 30 days’ emoluments, subject to a ceiling of Rs 7,000 per month. Pro-rata payment will be made to employees with six months or more of continuous service during the year.
For casual labour, eligibility requires at least 240 days of work in each of the three preceding years (206 days for offices following a 5-day week), with payment based on actual emoluments and a minimum benchmark of Rs 1,200 per month.
Employees on half-pay leave, study leave, or re-employed after superannuation are included. Those on deputation will receive the bonus from the borrowing organization depending on their scheme, and employees under suspension may also be eligible if the suspension period is treated as duty.
The expenditure will be met from within the sanctioned budget grants for 2024-25 of the respective departments.
