Ad-hoc Bonus and Festival Advance 2024
Government of West Bengal Finance (Audit) Department ‘NABANNA’, HOWRAH-711102 Email ID: finreceipt-wb@bangla.gov.in No. 1220-F(P2)/FA/O/2M/493/12 Dated: Howrah, the 7th. March, 2024 Memorandum of Ad-hoc Bonus 2024 Grant of Ad-hoc Bonus to the State Government Employees and some other categories of Employees of the year 2023-2024 Download Memorandum of Ad-hoc Bonus 2024 (Click here) The undersigned is directed by order of the Governor to say that the Governor is pleased to decide that the State Government employees who are not covered by any of the productivity linked Bonus Scheme and whose revised emoluments did not exceed Rs. 42,000/- per month as on 31st. March, 2024 will be entitled to Ad-hoc Bonus for the accounting year 2023-2024 at the rate of Rs. 6,000/- per head. The upper eligibility ceiling of Rs. 42,000/- per month as on 31st March, 2024 will be applicable irrespective of whether the emoluments are drawn in the pre-revised or revised structure of pay or on fixed / consolidated contract pay. 2. The benefit will be admissible subject to following terms and conditions: For those who are drawing pay and allowances in the un-revised pay structure under WBS (ROPA) Rules, 2009 the term ’emoluments’ will mean and include basic pay (Pay in Pay Band plus Grade Pay), dearness allowance, deputation (duty) allowance, Steno allowance but will not include specialist pay and other allowances such as house rent allowance, medical allowance, compensatory allowance, etc. For those who are drawing remuneration on contract basis, the term ‘ revised emoluments’ will mean the consolidated contract pay drawn by them.
(iii) The employees who rendered at least six months continuous service during the year 2023-2024 will be eligible for payment of Ad-hoc Bonus under this order. Pro-rata payment will be admissible in such cases to the eligible employees for periods of continuous service during the year ranging form six months to full year, the eligibility period being taken in terms of number of months of service (rounded off to the nearest number of months). A fraction of 15 days or more should be counted as one month. (iv) The amount of Ad-hoc Bonus on pro-rata payments as admissible under 2(iii) above will have to be calculated according to the following formula: |
Emoluments as on 31st March 2024 X Eligibility period in number of months / 12 = The mount of Ad-hoc Bonus, subject to maximum amount of Rs. 6,000/- only. |
(v) The casual workers who have put in works at least for 120 days and employees on consolidated pay in the year 2023-2024 will also be entitled to Ad-hoc Bonus under this order according to the following formula: |
Total amount of salary/ wages earned during the year 2023-2024 /12 = The amount of Ad-hoc Bonus, subject to maximum amount of Rs. 6,000 /- only. |
The salary/ wages in these cases should have the same meaning as ‘revised emoluments’ as defined in Para 2(i) above.
3. The disbursement of Ad-hoc Bonus sanctioned here in above should be made in case of Muslim State Government employees before the Festival of Id-Ul-fiter and in case of State Government employees (other than Muslim State Government employees) such disbursement should be made between 23.09.2024 to 30.09.2024. 4. The charge in respect of payment of Ad-hoc Bonus under this order will be debitable to the detailed head viz ”Ad-hoc Bonus” the opening of which was sanctioned under the ‘Salary’ head sub-ordinate to all Major, Minor and Sub-heads in the Revenue Expenditure Section of the State Budget in terms of Para 9 of this Department’s Order No. 4611-F dated 22.04.1988 and necessary fund for this purpose have been provided under the above detailed heads in the budget grant available for 2024-2025. 5. The Governor is further pleased to direct that the benefit of Ad-hoc Bonus sanctioned under this order will be also be available to the different categories of employees who had been allowed the same in the last year in accordance with Finance Department’s Memo No. 1481-F(P2) dated 28.02.2023 by issue of Government Orders by various Departments in this connection. As done in the last year, Orders for grant of Ad-hoc Bonus in respect of the employees of Statutory Bodies/Local Bodies/State aided Non-Government Educational Institutions and such other categories of employees of various establishments, who were allowed Ad-hoc Bonus /ex-gratia at par with the State Government employees or at the rate not more than the rate as approved by the Government in the last year, should be issued by the Departments concerned without referring the file to finance Department, Group ‘P2’. 6. Clarification issued in previous years in respect of various points raised in connection with admissibility and drawal of Ad-hoc Bonus would continue to apply.
sd/- M. Pant
Additional Chief Secretary
to the Government of West Bengal
Date: 07.03.2024
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Interest Free Festival Advance 2024
Download pdf of Festival Advance 2023 (Click here)
The undersigned is directed by order of the Governor to say that the Governor has been pleased to accord sanction of interest free Festival Advance up to a maximum of Rs. 18,000/- only to State Government employees whose revised emoluments on 31st. March, 2024 exceeded Rs. 42,000/- per month but did not exceed Rs. 50,000/- per month, if applied for the same.
6. (a) Persons who will enter into State Government Service for the first time after 31st March, 2024 but before 1st October, 2024 will be entitled to the benefit of interest free Festival Advance as sanctioned in this order subject to fulfilment of the terms and conditions laid down here in above and their emoluments for the purpose of payment of Advance will be determined on the basis of their emoluments at the time of entry into Government service.
(b) The benefit of Interest Free Festival Advance sanctioned above will also be admissible to the State Government employees who have been appointed on regular or contract basis provided they are not eligible to draw ad-hoc bonus on pro-pata basis sanctioned for accounting year 2023-2024 and provided their regular or contract emoluments did not exceed Rs. 50,000/- per month.
7. The benefit of interest free Festival Advance sanctioned here in above will also be admissible to the personal staff of Chief Minister, Ministers and Minister of State as well as to the Personal staff attached to the Chief Government Whip, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on the same terms and conditions as laid down here in above provided they are not eligible to draw ad-hoc bonus for the accounting year 2023-2024.
8. The benefit of interest free Festival Advance will also be admissible to the personal staff of the Leader of the Opposition of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly provided they are not sanctioned ad-hoc bonus for the accounting year 2023-2024.
9. The benefit of interest free Festival Advance will also be admissible to the regular teaching and non-teaching staff of the government sponsored educational institutions and regular employees of Panchayat and Local Bodies.
10. The Central Government Employees on deputation to the State Government may be granted Festival Advance as may be sanctioned by the Government of India for Central Government Employees subject to the terms and conditions as may be laid down by the Government of India in this regard.
11. For the purpose of this order, members of All India Services serving in connection with the affairs of the State will be regarded as State Government employees.
12. For the employees drawing pay in the revised pay structure, the terms ’emoluments’ will, mean basis pay drawn in the applicable level in the Pay Matrix, dearness allowance and non-practising allowance, if any.
13. The terms ’emoluments’ in the case of employees drawing pay and allowances in the un-revised pay structure, will including basic pay (Pay in the Pay Band plus Grade Pay), dearness allowance, deputation (duty) allowance and special allowance (Additional remuneration).
In case of retired Government employees on re-employment, the term ’emoluments’ will, mean remuneration drawn by them in terms of Finance Department Memo No 6472-F(P2) dated 02.12.2019 plus basic pension.
14. Applications for interest-free Festival Advance on the strength of this order shall be made by all employees as early as possible.
In case of failure, such disbursement should be complete before 1st December, 2024 in case of all employees at the latest. The Drawing and Disbursing Officers in order to minimize the number of bills should, as far as possible, prepare one bill for Advance in such cases in respect of the establishment / office for which they act as Drawing and Disbursing Officers.
15. The Advance excluding the advance to the employees borne on work-charged establishment will be debited to the standard detailed head ‘Salaries Pay’ under all major, minor and sub-heads in the Budget grant available for the financial year 2024-2025 the recoveries thereof being automatically adjusted by monthly deduction of installments of Advance paid to an employee from this pay. No new detailed hear is required to be opened for this purpose as per new classification in accounts. The advance to persons borne on work-charged establishments will be debited to the same head from which their wage is met.