Chennai, Nov 3:
The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced a substantial Deepavali bonus and ex-gratia package amounting to Rs 216 crore for more than 1.5 lakh frontline employees serving across State Transport Undertakings (STUs) and cooperative institutions. The payout is intended to benefit drivers, conductors, technical workshop staff, cooperative bank personnel, and grassroots clerical teams across the state.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay cleared the disbursement order, noting that the monetary incentive stands as formal recognition of the unflagging dedication, public service, and operational commitment exhibited by transport and cooperative personnel throughout the year. The administration stated that timely release before the festival would ease financial pressures and enable working-class families to celebrate Deepavali with dignity.
State Transport Minister A. Vijay Tamilan Parthiban and senior department secretaries held administrative coordination meetings to ensure the immediate electronic transfer of bonus credits into individual bank accounts without procedural delays. The bonus structure has been tailored to comply with statutory bonus thresholds and government guidelines governing state public sector undertakings.
Employee trade unions and transport federations across Tamil Nadu welcomed the bonus announcement, stating that the release brings much-needed festive cheer to frontline workers managing round-the-clock transit services. Transport corporations have additionally finalized holiday special bus operations to handle the surge in inter-district passenger traffic over the festive weekend.