The Kerala government on Monday, August 29, announced a financial package for all government employees and pensioners on the occasion of the harvest festival of the state — Onam. Around 1.3 million people are expected to get the benefit.

For years, Onam bonus has been a customary norm. This time, it includes a sum of Rs 4,000 for all government employees. Those government employees, who are not entitled for the bonus, would get Rs 2,750 as special festival allowance, Finance Minister K N Balagopal said. In addition to this, all state government employees will get Rs 20,000 as advance which will be recovered in the coming months in instalments. 

The pensioners will get an additional Rs 1,000 with their monthly pension, while all part-time and contingent employees will get Rs 6,000 as an advance, along with their August salary cheque.

In order to meet its Onam commitments, the cash-strapped state government has to shell out an extra Rs 1,000 crore.

Meanwhile, the general norm in the private sector in the state is all employees are eligible to get one month's salary as Onam bonus.

Unlike the last two years when the celebration was a low-key affair owing to the pandemic, this year the state is fully geared to return to the pre-Covid times and celebrate the harvest festival in a grand manner.