A letter claiming that railway employees will receive a Productivity Linked Bonus of Rs 41,149 for 2025–26 is fake, the Railway Board has clarified, warning officials not to act on or process payments based on the document.
The fabricated letter, dated October 6, 2026, claimed that the central government had sanctioned a bonus equivalent to 78 days’ wages for railway workers. It was circulated widely on social media and messaging platforms, according to a Railway Board communication sent to all general managers on October 7.
The Railway Board said the circulated document was not issued by it and carried a forged signature. It specifically rejected both the purported sanction of the 78-day bonus and the payment figure of Rs 41,149.
“It is hereby clarified that the aforesaid letter is fake/fabricated and has not been issued by the Railway Board,” the communication said. The contents were described as unauthorised and officials across zonal railways, production units and other railway offices were told not to act on them or take them into cognisance.
The board also issued a direct instruction that no action should be taken and no payment should be made on the basis of the fabricated document. The clarification is intended to prevent railway offices and employees from relying on an unauthorised communication while waiting for the formal annual bonus announcement.
The Railway Board advised railway officials and staff to verify communications about the Productivity Linked Bonus through the official Ministry of Railways and Railway Board websites. The websites identified for checking announcements are indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/ and indianrailways.gov.in/.
The annual Productivity Linked Bonus currently applicable to non-gazetted railway employees is Rs 17,951, according to the Economic Times report. The amount has remained linked to a wage ceiling of Rs 7,000 and a calculation equivalent to 78 days’ wages since 2014–15.
The reported Rs 41,149 figure is therefore not an approved railway bonus amount. However, a proposal to increase the bonus ceiling has been raised by the Indian Railways Technical Supervisors’ Association. The association has sought a wage ceiling of Rs 18,000 plus dearness allowance for Level-2 employees and above, arguing that the existing ceiling does not reflect current pay levels.
Based on an Rs 18,000 wage ceiling, the association has recommended increasing the annual bonus from Rs 17,951 to at least Rs 46,184. That proposal is separate from the fake letter and does not constitute a government sanction. Railway employees have been asked to rely only on official announcements issued through authorised channels.
